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Statistical Information 



RELATING TO 



he Mohawk Valley, 



of Arizona. 



THE CHOICEST SPOT IN THE BASIN OF THE 
GREAT NORTH AMERICAN NILE. 



PUBLISHED BY 



THE MOHAWK VALLEY ORANGE GROVE AND 

FRUIT COMPANY, . J ^,r ,rry, 

96 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY. 
OPYRIGHTED. 



'<. 



THE MOHAWK VALLEY 

Orange Grove and Fruit Company 



OF ARIZONA. 



CAPITAL STOCK 

6,400 SHARES OF $100 EACH, FULL PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE. 



DIRECTORS : 

F. S. Edminster, of Edminster & Co., 96 Broadway, New York City. 

R. H. McDonald, Jr., Vice-President of the Pacific Bank, San Francisco. 

F. V. McDonald, Cashier of the Pacific Bank, San Francisco. 

D. S. Dorn, Attorney at Law and Capitalist, San Francisco. 

A. F. Johns, President and Manager of the John Brown Colony of Madera, 
California. 

G. W. Norton, Civil Engineer, Superintendent of the Mohawk Canal and 

Improvement Company, Arizona. 
W. H. Barnes, Attorney at Law, Tucson, Arizona. 



F. S. EDMINSTER, 

F. V. Mcdonald, 

A. F. JOHNS, 

G. W. NORTON, 



OFFICERS : 

President. 

Vice-President and Treasui^er. 

Secretary. 

Superintendent. 



Trustees for Seven Years: ' 

F. S. EDMINSTER. D. S. DORN. F. V. McDONALD. 



96 Broadway, 
306 Pine Street, 
Texas HiJl, 



COMPANY'5 OFFICES: 

New York City. 

San Francisco. 

Yuma County, Arizona. 

G. W. NORTON, Superintendent. 



STATISTICAL INFORMATION 



RELATIN"G TO 



THE MOHAWK VALLEY 



OF ARIZONA. 



COLLATED AND EDITED BY 

FRANK V. Mcdonald. 

»« 

OF SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., 

FitOM Official Reports op the United States Government, the Territory 
OP Arizona, the Southern Pacific Railway Company ; Hon. Cameron 
H. King, Commissioner of Immigration for Arizona Territory ; 
Hon. George W. Norton, Civil Engineer, for Fifteen 
Years Resident of Arizona, and Present Man- 
ager OP the Mohawk Canal and Improve- 
ment Company, and from numerous 
other Official Sources. 




NEW YORK : 

Lehmaier & Bko. Print, 88 Fulton Street. 

1893 






f> 



THE MOHAWK VALLEY OF ARIZONA, 



By GEORGE W. NORTON, C. E. 



Mohawk, Akizona, ) 

Sept. 3, 1892. [ 

F. Y. McDoxALD. 

Dear Sir : — In answer to your 
esteemed favor of the 9th ult. I 
take pleasure in sendin_^ you the 
following sketch of our beautiful 
valley : 

Location. 

The Mohawk Valley is a portion 
of the Great Gila Valley and lies on 
the north side of the Gila River, its 
western edge being about 38 miles 
from the town of Yuma on the Col- 
orado Eiver. The Southern Pacific 
Railroad runs parallel to the entire 
length of the Mohawk Valley and 
is at no place more than six miles 
distant. 

The Valley is irrigated by the 
Mohawk Canal, wliich is owned 
by the Mohawk Canal and Improve- 
ment Company, a California cor- 
poration. 

Climate. 

The climate is semi-tropical ; that 
is, hoi for four months and pleas- 
antly mild for eight. June, July, 
August and September are the trojj- 
ical months that give the country its 
phenominal productiveness. It is the 
heat and the water combined that 
work the wonders of this district. 
When the word hot is used, it should. 



however, not be confused with the 
sweltering atmosphere of the Eastern 
dog days. The atmosphere here is 
dry and the evaporation rapid, 
therefore the heat is not oj^pressive. 
The only time one hears any remark 
at all about the heat is on some 
rare occasion after a shower when 
the air. becomes humid and the 
mercury falls to 85° or 90" in the 
shade ; but with the atmosphere 
in its usual and normal condi- 
tion the mercury may rise above 100° 
in the shade and the harvesters and 
haymakers will sing at their labor as 
merrily as you please ; and when the 
night comes on after one of those 
intense summer days there is a dolce 
far niente sensation that creeps over 
you like a charm, and reconciles you 
to the glare and heat of the hottest 
spell. The nights are always pleas- 
antly cool and bring such refresh- 
ing sleep that fully restores the 
wasted energy of the day and leaves 
you in the morning bright and ready 
for whatever fate may have in store 
for you. And since this is all we need 
to say in explanation of the general 
misconception of the Arizona sum- 
mer, we can invite you to give wings 
to your brightest fancy in picturing 
the delights of the peerless climate 
of the remaining eight months of the 
year. 



— 4 — 



Tlic Oila River. jimong the most important being the 

The Gila River, although second ^an Pedro,, a singular stream rising 
in size to its mighty rival the Col- "ear the line between Sonora and 
orado, is destined, for the present at Arizona, and dranung the Hna- 
least, to figure far more prominently chuca, Mule, Calmo, Dragoon and 
in the solution of the problem of re- Whetstone Mountams and the 
deeming and making valuable to Eastern slope of the Santa Gatahna. 
the husbandman the immense bodies ^^^lowing northerly for more han one 
of hitherto arid and valueless hundred miles it enters the Gila 
tributary land. The Gila drains River at the southern extremi y of 
a vast ten-itory. Rising in the west- ^' il^ Canon in Pmal County. Along 
ern part of New Mexico, it flows in its course the rainfall is perhaps 
a nearly westerly direction through g^'eater than elsewhere m Arizona, 
the entire Territory of Arizona. Its being estimated at 24 inches yearly 
northern and eastern sources are in the vicinity of the Dragoon Moun- 
among mountains covered for several tains. Certain of the ranges men- 
montlis in the year with snows of tioned are, during the winter, fre- 
varyingdepths,themeltingofwhich, quently covered with snow, which 
added to the many natural springs on some does not disappear until the 
emptying into it at different points, commencement of summer. 
form"^a considerable river long be- Another notable tributary of the 
fore it passes through Graham Gila is the Salt River, in itself a large 
County. It enters the latter county stream having its head waters in the 
in the neighborhood of the Clifton WhiteMountains.near Green's Peak. 
Copper Mines, then courses through It rises in the eastern portion of the 
Pueblo Viejo Valley and the San Territory, draining the mountainous 
Carlos or AVhite Mountain Indian region in the far north, including 
Reservation, finally entering the among others the San Francisco, 
Gila Valley some few miles above Sierra Ancha, White, Apache and 
Florence. Tlience, for nearly three Tonto Basin Mountains. Among 
hundred miles, it winds through the the most important streams that 
now famous Gila A'alley, eventually feed it may be mentioned the 
merging into the larger stream at Verde River and Tonto, Raccoon, 
Yuma. The entire course of the Cherry, Canon, Cibren, Carriyo, 
river is erratic and irregular, as it Cedar, Pinal and Pinto creeks. Its 
follows a naturally tortuous route general direction is west and south 
caused by the diversified character until it empties into the Gila some 
of the country traversed. The total distance below Phoenix, its entire 
length, from its sources in New Mex- length closely approximating two 
ico to its confluence with the Col- hundred miles. An important aid 
orado, including its many windings, in increasing its volume is the heavy 
is fully 650 miles. Before reaching rainfall about Prescott, amounting 
the eastern boundary of Yuma during the past ten years, as shown 
County it is fed by numerous rivers, by the reported observations of the 



United States signal service office at plains but that, if they were blessed 
that place to an average of 15.18 with a uniform and timely rain- 
inches annually. fall during the spring, summer and 

Much of its waters are used in ir- fall, would produce an hundred 
rigating its own valleys at Phoenix; fold. Water is the one great 
but the Salt Eiver and the waste need; that supplied, everything 
water of the Salt Eiver Valley irri- else follow^ like magic. The up- 
gating canals is gradually returned, lands or mesas are uniformly a sandy 
in part through sepage, to the Gila, or gravelly loam, deep and rich. 
thereby augmenting the latter. The river bottoms called valley land 

Other rivers like the Agua Fria, are alluvium and rich as the Nile, 

Hassayampa, etc., bring down fur- which for thousands of years has 

ther supplies draiued from the never tired, never failed, to respond 

heavily timbered mountain regions to the touch of the husbandman. 

traversed by them, finally pouring The Mohawk Valley is entirely bot- 

their richly laden and precious fluids tom land and is inexhaustible. The 

into the Gila. soil reaches to well-water, an aver- 

„r ^ ^ . age depth of from ten to twelve feet. 

Water Supply. ^ ^ 

The water supplv to the Mohawk 

Valley depends upon the Gila Eiver, ^ really new life is created by the 

and, as will be seen from the detailed atmospheric elixir of the waning days 

description of the Gila just given, ^^ ^^^« ^^^^ y^^^^'' ^^*^^ ^^'^ ^^^^^'^S 

and from a special report on this ^'^'^''^ ^^ *^^^ ^^^^- ^^'^^' ^^'''''' ^^- 

question hereto appended, it is more "^«^<^ perpetual sun, the few cloudy 

than abundant. The lands to be ii- ^^^^ ^'^^^^ '^^^^' ^^^^^ '^'''^ ^° ^^«^^- 

rigated from the Mohawk Canal em- ^""^^^ ^^'^ supremacy of the sun, 

brace an area of 25,000 to 30,- "^^^'^ ^nd stars over this most hap- 

000 acres, and experience ],^, V^^Y ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^- . 

1 , 1 , , 1 • Even in the shortest days of wiii- 

shown that three acres require -^ 

T ,1 • J • 1 J? ter the sun IS bright and warm; and 

less than one miner s inch of => i i t i 

, .. ,1 • -, ,• mi fires, except for household work, 

water tor their I'edemptiou. The > t > 

n ^ ^ ■ i. ■ i. j: ^^ caii be entirely dispensed with, al- 

Canal, when running at its full ca- j r ' 

• , . 10AAA- 1 t i. though mornings and evenings a 

pacity carries 12,000 inches 01 water, * . = *^ 

T • , 1 T « o f.f.r\ few sticks in an open grate take 

which leaves a surplus oi 2,000 . , ^ °. 
• IT .on the slight chill of the air and im- 

mches. In many very warm parts ° , . , . 

c i.\ T, -a n " L ■ 5-1 part a warm glow that is pleasing to 

of the racific Coast one miner s inch ^ ° ^ = 

, , , (. T T the aged aud feeble. Frosts are so 

IS apportioned to ten acres of land „ tt , , ,i , n 

J- 1. -, , -, , lew and light that during years in 

and lound to be ample. • ,, t , ^ -t, J^^ 

^ succession they do not even kill the 

Laud— Soil. leaves on the tender cottonwood 

Of good land — rich soil — Arizona trees, and the new growth forces off 

has an abundance. It is desert only the old, almost changing a decidu- 

in one respect, that of rainfall or ous plant to an evergreen. In Feb- 

water. There are none of its broad ruary and March the oranges, lem- 



G — 



ons, limes, apricots, peaches and 
grapes begin to put forth their 
bloom; and in April figsand apricots 
ripen on the trees, and the first of 
June sees perfect bunches of grapes 
covered with bloom and fragrance, 
hanging mellow and juicy on the 
vines. AA^ith the least expenditure 
of energy, fresh vegetables may be 
served up with every meal for three 
hundred and sixty-five days in the 
year. These are but tlie mile- 
stones marking the superlative ex- 
cellence of the year in Mohawk 
Valley. 

AA^hat other countr}', however 
blessed, can show a finer list or a 
fairer record? Our climate, in short, 
is the counterpart of that of Persia, 
the latitude being almost identical. 

ProdiietioiiK. 

Being in the latitude of Persia, 
with similar climate, it is not un- 
reasonable to infer that there should 
be a close relation in productions. 
Of the cereals, all do equally well. 
On the alluvium along the river 
from 40 to 60 bushels of wheat per 
acre can be raised, and jiroportion- 
ately of oats and barley. Corn can 
be grown whether planted very early 
or very late. Sorghum and the true 
cane grow luxuriantly. Cotton be- 
comes a perennial, plants in Yuma 
having grown from one seeding 
twelve years in succession. The 
lint may be gathered continually 
from June to January. The castor 
bean grows into miniature trees and 
is as long lived as many of the orna- 
mental trees of more northern lati- 
tudes. Hemp is indigenous, its fibre 
being of good quality. IJame will 
do equally well as hemp, and the 



time will come when its cultivation 
will be an important industry. The 
same may be said of fiax and tobacco. 
But it is in the realm of Pomoiui 
where the infinite riches of this 
country will be specially found. All 
the citrous fruits are at home. The 
orange, the lemon and the lime 
make fragrant with blossoms and 
fruit all the days of the year, and 
such oranges, lemons and limes as 
grow nowhere else in the United 
States. Mexico and the islands of 
the sea do not produce such oranges ; 
in size, flavor and color they are 
simply perfect. The lemons are the 
equals of Sicily. The lime is as 
large, juicy and purely acid as those 
of Acapulco, Mexico, whence Cali- 
fornia draws its main supply. The 
date grows as rapidly and is as 
healthy as in Persia or Arabia, and 
will in time become an important 
tree, for its fruit as well as for orna- 
mental purposes. The long-lived 
olive is at home here and will add 
its contingent of oil and pickles to 
the wealth of the land. From April 
to December the fig may be gath- 
ered in perfection from the trees. 
All the pitted fruits whose home is 
Persia grow with an ahanddn. grace 
and beauty unknown elsewhere on 
this continent. And what shall we 
say of the endless grape family, the 
fruits of which ripen here more than 
a month in advance of any other 
locality ? Neither Morocco, Spain, 
France nor Hungary, that have 
sent us their finest varieties, can 
excel the Mohawk A^alley for pro- 
ductiveness, size and flavor of their 
grapes ; our grapes are simply un- 
surpassable. 



The list of productions already this matchless valley. All that re- 
given, although long, might be ex- mains for the purposes of this 
tended almost indefinitely, for every- sketch is to add the testimony of 
thing native to the semi-tropics may disinterested observers whose ut- 
be added. This, however, is not terances will certainly be free from 
necessary, for in those already men- the charge of self-interest, 
tioned are noted possibilities of lux- Very respectfully, 
ury and wealth for those who settle GEO. W. NOETON. 
and cultivate the wonderful soil of 



THE AVATER SUPPLY OF THE IWOHA^VK VAEEEY. 

BY 

George W. NoRTOisr, C. E. 

Mohawk, Arizona, ) rains in southeastern Arizona and 
Sept. 3, 1892. \ northern Sonora, Mexico. 
F. V. McDonald. rj^,}^^ appropriation or location of 

Dear Sir : As per your request I water for the Mohawk Canal was 
submit the following report on the made in May, 1883, which gives the 
water supply of Mohawk Valley : Mohawk Canal the prior right 
The itioliawk Canal overall canals located or constructed 

has a capacity of 12,000 miner's since that date. Up to May, 1883, 
inches of water. The grade of the there were only a few small ditches 
canal is two feet per mile. Grade taken from the Gila Kiver. From 
at head of the canal is level with n^J own observations, extending 
the bottom of the river, so that any over a period of fifteen years, 
water in the river will enter the canal, since June 1, 1877, there have 

This being the case, the water been but three seasons in which 
supply during any month of the t^ere was any shortage of water, and 
year depends on the amount of then only for such a short time that 
water in the river, but any water ^o damage to trees could occur ; 
in the river yields abundance for all these short spells were in August, 
j;^pgflg 1883, four weeks; in August, 1888, 

The Gila Eiver has two seasons of ten days and in August, 1892, 
high water each year : the first liigh ±'onr weeks ; but there is now a rise 
water during the month of February, of the river reported from Florence, 
which co)nes from melting snows on This shows that for fifteen years 
the mountain ranges in northern the water supply has been abundant, 
Arizona and New Mexico ; the sec- with the exception of the brief 
ond high water, during the months periods mentioned above, that are of 
of July, August or September, some "o practical moment, 
seasons earlier and some later, lours truly, 

which comes from the summer GEO. W. NORTON, C. E. 



DISINTERESTED TESTIIWOW OF THE HERITS OF 

MOHAAVK VAEEEY AND THE BASI.V OF THE 

<-REAT XORTII AMERICAN NTEE. 



The first witness Ave shall put 
ui)on the stand is Joaquin Miller, 
" the Poet of the Sierras," than 
whom none will be found more com- 
petent or more impartial. 

The North Aiiierioaii Nile. 

By Joaquix Miller. 

In an article published in the 
New York Indejienclent, on August 
2d, 1888, he says : 

In the second place, " Casa 
drande" is an old ruin — a very 
old ruin. Many men will calmly 
assert and assure you over and 
over again that this is but the 
relic of a temporary occupation by 
the Spaniards when tracking this 
land in search of the ''Seven Cities 
of Gold." The truth is, Alvar 
Nunez de A^aca visited the ruins of 
Casa (Irande about the year 1538. 
A detailed account of his discovery 
of these ruins I have myself read in 
the library of Mexico. And the 
anti(|uity of these and other ruins 
in this region makes up a very im- 
portant fact in the testimony of the 
case, which I should like to present 
to the world in this brief paper. 
Let this, then, be well settled in 
your mind ; these ruins of Arizona, 
or '' Arizuna," as the Spaniards 
called this region of the Gila and 
Colorado, are old, older than his- 
tory — as old maybe as the oldest 
ruins on the Nile of Egypt. This 
region then was once densely peo- 
pled. No allurements of gold, no 
lust of conquest, nothing at all but 
the generous soil and the genial 
climate built up a city here ; many 
cities, indeed, up and down the 
land, that must have rivaled in 



splendor and extent the storied 
cities of the Nile of old. . If, then, 
the simple, primitive and half-civ- 
ilized people of the dead-past made 
a garden of this land where the world 
lias always insisted and insists now 
on locating a desert, can we not do 
something Avith our plows, our 
ditches, our dozens of improved 
methods? Let us try and get doAvn 
to the facts of this contradiction and 
see who is at fault. Let us see 
whether it is in the land, the climate, 
or the people themselves. 

The first bananas I ever saw I 
saw here in the valley of this North 
American Nile, near what is now 
Fort Yuma, I think ; although the 
place Avas then called Colorado and 
afterAA'ard Arizona City. And 
richer, sweeter, or better bananas I 
never ate. I Avas with some Mexi- 
cans who Avere engaged in driving 
horses to Northern California, and 
they bought large bunches from the 
Indians. Noav it is just possible 
that this fruit had been groAvn in 
Mexico, or about the mouth of the 
Colorado, and had been brougiit up 
the river in boats ; but my recollec- 
tion is that it was groAvn right there 
Avhere Ave got it. I remember, at 
least, that Ave had bananas until we 
reached San ]5ernardino. This Avas 
more than thirty years ago. And 
why, you ask, has this region not 
been converted into a garden and 
])re})ared so as to furiiish our peo- 
ple with this fruit? Simply because 
Ave have been seeking for gold, 
listening to tales aboiit Indians, and 
looking aAvay up at the Avonders of 
the (J rand Canon. "We have not 
been able in all these years to get 



— 9 — 



our faces bent down to the soil of 
the Colorado. 

Looking back to those early days 
I remember the banks of the Colo- 
rado as the most green and flowery 
and altogether delicious land I ever 
beheld. I have spent two winters 
in Upper Egypt, and so have thor- 
oughly seen about all the Nile has 
to offer ; yet I am bound to say that 
in my recollection the first of these 
two views takes precedence for ver- 
dure and fertility. 

Gaunt, red and dirt-brown 
camels, a few lazy and lousy asses, 
one-eyed Arabs in very short shirts, 
a few lonely and leaning palms 
swaying in the sandy wind, that is 
the prospect as you are dragged up 
the drowsy Nile of Egypt. I have 
not steamed up and down the Colo- 
rado, or the North American Nile, 
from the Sea of Cortez or Gulf of 
California to the Grand Canon as 
many have, but I have traveled on 
horseback a portion of that distance, 
and as a traveler whose trade is the 
study and comparison of lands, I 
unhesitatingly testify that the air, 
the outlook, the sense of a vital soil, 
that spice of possibilities, which you 
clearly feel yet but feebly express, 
is altogether with this great tawny 
river of the New AVorld, the Colo- 
rado. As for the fertility of the 
soil-sand, if you prefer to call it 
sand, of the Colorado, let there be no 
two opinions. This river was not 
born in the Grand Canon by a great 
deal. It drains many lands. The 
sublime slopes of the Rocky Moun- 
tains feed the Colorado with their 
fei'tility the whole year through. 
Perpetual snow and perpetual sun 
contribute year in and year out 
their riches to the nourishment of 
the Colorado and its alluvial banks. 
Look at your map and trace the 
meandering tributaries that are in- 
terlaced with the waters of the 
Columbia and the Missouri in the 
heart of the Rocky Mountains. The 



very sands of a river so supplied 
must be as rich as gold. And, lest 
you may have some doul)ts about 
the fertility of these sand-dunes that 
lie along and a little back from the 
river's bank, permit me to call your 
attention to the shifting, drifting 
and blowing banks of sand that 
once lay between " Seal Rocks " and 
San Erancisco. These sands had 
been washed down in the long cen- 
turies from the Sierras through the 
Sacramento River. They seemed to 
be as barren as snow-banks. They 
were as migratory as gypsies, and 
moved up and down the land with 
all the exasperating irregularity of 
the scale of figures in the reports of 
the stock market. One pioneer, a 
personal friend of mine, who at- 
tempted to settle doAvn and locate a 
homestead on these shifting dunes 
of sand in the early days of Cali- 
fornia, told me that he actually tried 
to stake his land down and hold it 
still by spreading blankets on it and 
then driving pegs through the 
blankets. But failing to hold his 
real estate still even by this process 
he abandoned it in despair and went 
back to the mines. 

And meanwhile what has become 
of the blowy and drifting sand- 
dunes that my friend in the early 
days of California tried to hold down 
with pegs and blankets back of San 
Erancisco toward Seal Rocks ? They 
are in the heart of the most beauti- 
ful park in the world — a veritable 
garden of roses. 

I assert that the same thing can he 
done tvith every sand-dune within 
reach of the waters of the Colorado 
River or the Gila either. A i/, more; 
much more. For the banana, every 
one of the six hundred varieties of 
fig, indeed all fruits, all fioirers of 
the semi-tropical lands, can he made 
tofloui-isli on the haul's of this Xorth 
American Nile. 

I read, under the authority of the 
Government surveyors, that there 



— 10 — 



are sixteen thousand !-f|uure miles of 
these Colorado and (Jihi sand-dunes 
— deserts? — lying below the level of 
the waters of these two great rivers. 
Stick a pin here — if you have not 
the enterprise to stick a peg in the 
ground there and get ])ossession of 
a little land — and watch the devel- 
opment that must be born of these 
facts. With all the Xorthern States 
waiting for a better quality of trop- 
ical and semi-tropical fruits, waiting 
for something better than wild 
fruits gathered by half-wild people 
and shipped to them in a green and 
half- rotten condition, and with sun, 
soil, water — what may we not ex- 
pect with this vantage-ground be- 
fore us from the banks of the Xorth 
American Xile? 

I am constantly receiving letters 
from peojile in the States asking for 
advice about land. I cannot answer 
these letters. I cannot even read 
them : for I must work for the many 
not for the few, and my time is not 
my own in this work. But 1 will 
say this much right here : Settle on 
these warm, healthful and responsive 
sand-dunes of the Colorado or Gila, 
and lead the waters over your land. 
There is no malaria there. A svn- 
stroke was never heard of there. 
You can ivork all day in the sun 
at a temperature that would kill 
you in ten minutes in the States. 
Why? I don't know ; pnrity (f the 
air, I reckon. 

Every word of the foregoing ap- 
plies as directly and forcibly to the 
Mohawk valley as though it had been 
penned specially for it, and is a 
tribute as disinterested, as truthful 
and impartial. Mr. Miller when 
impelled to cast his "bread upon 
the waters " of eternal progress, saw 
with the prescience of the Pro])het 
the infinite possibilities of this 
"wonder" land, that only awaits 
the vivifying touch of waters to 
make it '* blossom as the rose " and 
bring forth of grain and fruits a 
hundred fold. 



FiMtiii lilt' Toiiipc Xows. 

The editor of the Tempe (Ari- 
zona) Neivs, under date of June IG, 
1888, said : 

Last week a representative of the 
Xews was called on business to visit 
that flourishing little city on the 
Kio Colorado, which has been so 
badly slandered by Joe Pluenix's 
story of the soldier and his blankets. 
A call at the Sentinel otlice found 
Hon. -T. W. Dorrington, editor and 
proprietor of that very newsy journal, 
at home. Mr. Dorrington at once 
took us in charge, and under his 
able guidance we saw Yuma as she 
is, and we freely confess, upon the 
estimation of results obtained, in 
the production of early fruits, 
Yuma has nothing to fear by com- 
parison with the most favored points 
of Southern California or even our 
own Salt River valley. 

Most of the gard-ens were visited, 
in all of which were found orange, 
lemon and lime trees bending under 
the weight of fruit. In the garden 
of J)r. .1. H. Taggart were to be seen 
several grapevines of the Black 
Hamburg variety, laden with lus- 
cious fruit, the first of the season 
being picked on Saturday, June '.'d. 
AVe venture the assertion that no 
other locality in the Southwest can 
show up such a record. The profits 
to be reaped by the person who can 
produce and ship, in quantity, ripe 
grapes by the middle of .Tune, are 
almost incalculable, and if tliere is a 
place in the United States where 
this can be done, that place is Yuma. 
In the gardens of Alessrs. Norton, 
Lyons, (iandolfo and others were 
also to be seen large bunches of ripe 
Zinfaiulel and Muscatelle gra)ies. 

Judge C. H. Brinley has, in his 
garden, a large bearing olive tree, the 
fruit of which is well developed and 
has a healthy ap})earance. He also 
has cotton stalks seven years old, 
that are now covered with balls. 
Bananas flourish in this section and 
numerous specimens were to be seen. 



— 11 — 

Testiiiioiiy from the St. I..oiiis of the early market, when the prices 

Ciiobe Democrat. are high. For six weeks in early 

A correspondent of the St. Louis summer will Yuma be able to mo- 

Glohe- Democrat, writing from i^i- nopolize the market for fresh grapes, 

ma, under date of Xovember 2d, apricots, peaches, plums and km- 

1888, says : dred varieties of fruits, while oranges 

The 'lands between the Colorado ''^^^^'^ bananas will mature at all sea- 
and Santa Cruz rivers, in Arizona, sons of the year. Vegetables and 
are perhaps the richest and most garden produce, and all the small 
productive of any in the United fnnts, can be marketed during every 
{States. In this arid country the month of the year, and the farmer 
greatest thing is water. A number and orchardist will enjoy a perpet- 
of irrigating canals are completed "^^ income of handsome propor- 
and paying handsome dividends, tio^^s. It will require only a knowl- 
The supply of water is obtained from edge of these great advantages to 
the Colorado and Gila rivers. Over create such a demand for lands in 
100 miles of canals are now built, that vicinity that prices will run up 
and as many more under contract far above those now prevailing m 
and Iniilding. Fully a half million Southern California. The old set- 
acres of desert land are filed upon tiers of southern Arizona have long 
in the Salt River and (iila river known the value m which that sec- 
valleys waiting the construction of tion would eventually be held, al- 
])roposed canals so that water can be though they have lacked the enter- 
obtained for agricultural and horti- P^ise to push the reclamation of its 
cultural purposes. All fruits of lands. Now the matter has taken 
Southern California and Florida practical shape, and it is only a 
grow to perfection. Small grains qnestion of the time necessary to con- 
and alfalfa yield immense crops. struct the great canal. The water 

supply is enormous and cannot be 

n *i ^-#- .. exhausted, and its diversion to the 

From tlie Citizen. ' j. i j • i ii 

purposes intended was evidently a 

In April, 1887, the editor of the design of the great Hand that shaped 

Citizen, published in Tucson, A. T., the contour of that much abused 

wrote as follows: but highly favored portion of the 

That Yuma County is destined to territory. We can readily antici- 
experience a gigantic boom, and a pate a time when Yuma will dis- 
lasting one, every person that knows play her metropolitan frills, and 
aught of its wonderful opportunities command the homage of the whole 
will readily believe. The con- Territory, 
struction of the proposed irrigat- 
ing canal will cause the laiu! to *"'•«'" «»**' Arizona Gazette. 
yield returns of a fabulous value Where so many disinterested peo- 
when cultivated. It is the natural pie declare the same thing, the truth 
home of the citrus fruits and the must be near at hand. While there 
grape, and indeed fruits of all is a seeming repetition in the edi- 
kinds flourish in the highest state torials and correspondence quoted, 
of perfection. The fact that its it is more interesting reading on the 
season is fully six weeks ahead of the subject than could otherwise be 
most advanced portions of Califor- given, for these productions are the 
nia's fruit belt, and the facilities for candid expressions or opinions of 
quick transportation either east or men personally unknown to each 
west give to it the special advan- other and unaware what the others 
tages to be derived from the control had said or might say. The follow- 



— 12 — 



ing article from the Gazette, pub- 
lished in Pho'iiix, Maricopa County, 
appeared in its daily for August 14, 
ISSI, long prior to either of the 
foregoing. It says : 

No more promising country exists 
on the Pacific coast that the great 
(iila Valley, which extends from the 
Colorado River at Yuma up to 
within a few miles of Phcenix, which 
is now attracting the attention of 
cai)italists, both east and west. At 
various times the Gazette has called 
attention to its merits, believing 
that its development will add 
very materially to the prosperity 
of this city and the territory at 
large. 

The (iila Piver is the largest and 
most important stream in Arizona. 
Its head is among the mountains 
and high tablelands of New Mexico, 
where it is fed by copious summer 
rains and winter snows. It bisects 
the Territory from east to west, 
leaving the larger part on the north. 
It has the San Francisco, San Pedro, 
Santa Cruz, Salt Kiver, Agua Fria 
and Hassayam])a as tributaries 
within Arizona, and numerous lesser 
streams in New Mexico. It will be 
seen by this that its watershed is 
capable of keeping up an abundant 
flow for all the arable lands along its 
borders. The soil is a deep, rich, al- 
luvial deposit, capable of receiving 
water freely when applied for irri- 
gating purposes. It is retentive of 
moisture to a marked degi'ee, two irri- 
gations producing crops of wheat and 
barley. Alfalfa has been known to 
stand two years without irrigation, 
affording two cuttings for hay, and 
fair pasturage the renuiinder of the 
year. This is owing to the land's free- 
dom from clay, or, as more commonly 
called, adobe. Its depth is from 
twelve to twenty feet, therefore 
practically inexhaustible. It is 
sufficiently high above the river 
bed to protect it from overflow- 
ing during the highest stages of the 
river. 



I'rodiiclitiiiM. 

In lU) part of semi-ti'opie America 
is there a wider range of productions. 
At Yuma the orange, lemon and lime 
grow to a perfection unexcelled any- 
where on the North American con- 
tinent. The lemons are the e(pial of 
the famous Sicily product, and the 
limes as large, thin skinned and juicy 
as those of Mexico, than which no 
superiors are known. The trees, 
owing to the dry, warm atmosphere 
during the year, are exempt from 
the ills that are decimating the 
boasted groves of Southern Califor- 
nia. The lower Gila, from Gila 
Bend to Yuma, is the true citrus 
belt of the United States, and will 
become so recognized at no distant 
day. 

Baiiaiia!». 

The banana is grown and suc- 
cessfully fruited a.t Yuma also, and 
will, it is believed, become a staple 
product when the various canal en- 
terprises more fully open up the 
country for settlement. It is not 
the aim of the Gazette nor the ])io- 
neers of that country to send abroad 
any extravagant statements in rela- 
tion to this or any other fruit that 
may be successfully grown in this 
region, and before being prei)ared 
to make the above statement it in- 
terviewed the Hon. H. N. Alex- 
ander and his estimable wife, whose 
home prior to coming to Pluenix Avas 
at ^'uma, who confirmed all that it 
had previously heard on this subject; 
with such authority it feels safe in 
saying to intending emigrants that 
the banana can be profitably grown 
along the lower Gila as high up as 
Aztec Station, and (experience may 
determine as far as (iila Pend. 

The Olivo. 

This tree of trees, as some Euro- 
pean writers term it, is growing 
in luxuriance in this city, as also 
in Yuma, where the trees are laden 
with fruit. Like the citrus fruit, 
it is free from scale bug. that pest 



— 13 — 



of California. Olives are the long- 
est lived of any of the fruits grown 
by man, and more profitahle. It is 
likewise the richest as food, and 
furnishes an oil that has a market 
in every civilized community. Tlie 
demand for the pickled fruit and 
the oil increased faster than the suj)- 
ply heretofore ; there is no imme- 
diate prospect of a falling off in 
prices. This tree, like the ass, whose 
origin is in the same region as that 
of the olive, is capable of enduring 
more ill usage at the hands of man, 
whose benefactor it is, than any 
known tree or plant. 

Grapes and Pitted Fruit. 

It is not generally known that Ari- 
zona is in the same hititude as Persia, 
the home of the grape, the peach, 
the apricot and kindred fruit. Such, 
however, is the case. The climate 
and territorial conditions are the 
counterparts of each other. Persia 
is a succession of mountains and 
plains, fertile valleys and sterile 
deserts. The valleys have been made 
productive by the labor and intelli- 
gence of man, who has conducted 
upon them waters that come flowing- 
down from the snow-capped mount- 
ains the same as the hardy sons of 
toil are doing to-day in the country 
under consideration. It is an axiom 
as old as the hills that like causes 
and conditions will produce like re- 
sults, therefore, it is no wonder that 
grapes, peaches, apricots, nectarines, 
pomegranates and dates, should be 
as much at home in the Gila coun- 
try as in its Asiatic counterpart. 

The Seasons. 

Who is there that has not heard 
that stale old story about the dead 
soldier who waking up in Hades 
sent back for his blankets, the 
climate being so much colder there 
than in Yuma, from whence he 
hailed. It will, no doubt, surprise 
most people to learn that the annual 
temperature of this much belied 



place averages the same thi-ongh- 
out the year as Anaheim, Cali- 
fornia, the heat being no greater 
and the cold not more severe. This 
statement is made upon the author- 
ity of the Southern Pacific Com- 
pany's publication, than which none 
are more reliable. This point set- 
tled, the bugaboo that has hereto- 
fore restrained people from settling 
in the Gila Valley, gives place to 
matter of fact statements that must 
inevitably attract a desirable class of 
settlers. The orange, lemon and 
lime matures earlier in Yuma than 
in Florida, and months before they 
reach perfection in California. Early 
in June the grape puts on its bloom 
of ripeness and by the middle of that 
month they make their appearance 
in great profusion. The apricots 
and other pitted fruits are corre- 
spondingly early. This gives a whole 
long month the advantage over the 
most favored spots in California. 

What This Heans. 

To the pomologist the above facts 
convey a world of meaning. They 
foreshadow an unlimited demand at a 
time when the markets of the world 
are sure of the choicer and more deli- 
cate fruits for which there is an ever- 
lasting craving. They mean such 
jn-ices as will make the pockets fat 
and the hearts glad. The most 
conservative man can see hundreds 
of dollars an acre profit, while the 
sanguine will figure it out a thou- 
sand dollars and upwards. It means 
that those lands will have a market 
value, at no distant day, of a thou- 
sand dollars an acre and upwards, 
when supplied with the necessary 
water to reclaim them from their 
desert nature. Two years ago a 
gentleman by the name of Alverado, 
planted fifteen pounds of Irish po- 
tatoes on a piece of low bottom that 
had been overflowed, and harvested 
seven sacks, or over seven hundred 
pounds. He is doubtful if this 
record has ever been excelled. 



— 14 — 

AM UXKXOWX REGIOX. little short of a miracle. The flavor 

of the grai^es was of a superior qual- 

Yiiiiia and her l»o««««ibi lilies ity, wholly unlike that usually found 

Beals tlie World for among the early grapes. 

Early Fruits. A ]iarty of gentlemen formed a 

T, i.\ T> 7 1 /-I T4- • n-'- company for the purpose of running 
):^YornthQ I >u roan ktalif or nia limes, .i . - . i j; l\ ^^■^ 

^QQQ ■ an irrigating canal irom the (rila 

^^^^ • lliver through the Mohawk Valley, 

Our business is such that it calls which contains about 30,000 acres of 

us to almost every section in South- very excellent land, which can be 

ern California, and gives us excel- reached by tJie system being intro- 

lent opportunities to note the merits duced; the canal can be made.if need 

and demerits of one section over the be, to carry 30,000 inches of water, 

other. Saturday we went down to and is as substantial as if made of 

Yuma — 735 miles from San Fran- granite. 

Cisco, on the Arizona side of the The future of the Mohawk Valley 
Colorado River, and returned on is hard to limit, for it must surely 
Monday. become the leader of early and good 
Yuma is on one side of the Col- fruits. The soil and sunshine are 
orado desert, but has another of there, and the water will be in bound- 
pretty good proportions on the east less quantities, and nothing is want- 
of her. The country surrounding ing to produce the desired result, 
the town has not been improved, al- 
though there were thousands of The Oila Valley. 
acres of good land, it was not thought There is ])robably no compact body 
that it was capable of producing of agricultural land in the whole 
anything, and the second thought world that will e(|ual in area and fer- 
was hardly given it. Four years tility the valley of (iila, commencing 
ago the Southern Pacific Company at Florence and ending at Vuma. in- 
made a reservoir at Yuma and in- eluding the Salt Iliver valley. It is 
troduced a system of delivery ; prior more than 200 miles in length with 
to that time water was secured by an average width of perhaj)s 20 miles, 
carrying it from the Colorado River, and there is sufficient Avater to irri- 
and theground wasdevoidof all veg- gate every foot of it. The capabili- 
etation ; but since water was dis- ties of production of this vast tract 
tributed many gardens have been of land is something almost incredi- 
planted, and vines and fruits have ble to those wlio have not witnessed 
been growing profusely and prolific- the prolific growth of vegetation in 
ally. 'J'hrough the kindness of Southern Arizona. Fverything the 
Brother I )orrington, we were permit- temperate zoiuf produces will flourish 
ted to inspect the garden of Mrs. here, and many tropic and semi-trop- 
GeorgeXorton: the vines, trees, flow- ical fruits and plants grow exceed- 
ers, etc. , were planted about two years ingly well. There is hardly a variety 
ago, and the growth and maturity from the deciduous fruits of the 
that has been attained makes one most northern states to the delicate 
think that they must be fully four citrus productions of the soutliern 
years old. TJ rapes were picked in countries, tliat cannot be successfully 
this garden June 2d that were per- grown in this valley, and the tropical 
fectly filled and fully ripe — about banana and the date are readily cul- 
five weeks earlier than the nroduc- tivated with little care. This wide 
tion of any other locality on the range of j)roduction, in addition to 
Coast. The growth is truly wonder- the long seasons, in which from two 
ful, ajid the early production but a to four croj)s mature during a single 



— 15 



year, presents a wonderful array of 
advantages that are apparent to the 
most casual observer. In addition 
to these, there is an exclusive supply 
of the earliest and most profitable 
market enjoyed by its fruit raisers, 
involving rare benefits that no other 
section enjoys. The climate is all 
that mankind can wish for, the pure, 
dry atmosphere being especially bene- 
ficial to invalids and luxurious to the 
robust. There are absolutely none 
of the evils that afflict dwellers in 
other localities, and all the conditions 
of health and prosperity are concen- 
trated in this marvelous region. 
The time is close at hand when this 
valley will support a dense popula- 
tion of happy and prosperous people, 
and it will acquire fame throughout 
the world as the nearest approach to 
an earthly paradise. — Florence En- 
tei'jjrise. 



RECORD OF EARLY PRO- 
DUCTIONS. 

Like the early bird that catches 
the worm, it is the early fruit that 
catches the market, and brings the 
highest price. In its issue of June 
2, 1888, the Yuma Sentinel con- 
tained the following record : 

" The Indians are bringing into 
market large quantities of green corn 
and young squash. 

"A shipment of luscious, ripe 
muskmelons were received here this 
week from Antelope Valley. 

" Five white Adriatic figs picked 
from Espinosa's garden on Tuesday 
Aveighed twenty-six ounces ; five and 
one-fifth ounces per fig is not a bad 
showing. 

" Ripe watermelons have been 
picked on Bossung's ranch near 
town, since May 25th. The melons 
are fully ripe, sweet and of ordinary 
size. 

" Yesterday as the north-bound 
Overland passed through Selma 
(Fresno County, California) a gen- 
tleman handed out a bunch of green 



grapes. The berries were nearly 
full grown and the bunch was well 
filled. A card attached to the bunch 
bore the words, 'Yuma Grapes,' 
written on the business card of J. W. 
Dorrington, publisher of the Ari- 
zona Sentinel. The grapes around 
Selma are growing rapidly, but we 
do not know of any as large as those 
received from our Southern friends. 
— Selema Irrigator." 

At Yuma. 

Mr. 0. F. Thornton, one of the 
incorporators of the South Gila 
Canal Company ; Curt W. Miller, of 
Tempe; C. H. Mauk and W. T. 
Woods, Jr., prominent business 
men of Maricopa County, paid this 
office a sociable visit on Wednesday 
evening. The gentlemen visited 
most of the gardeiis in the town and 
were very much pleased with the 
orange, lemon and lime trees which 
are heavily laden with fruit. They 
also found our grapes and pomegra- 
nates already ripe and the olive trees 
full of splendid fruit. The gentle- 
men from the Salt River Valley were 
very much astonished to find that 
most fruits mature earlier here than 
they do in Phoenix. — Yuma Sentinel, 
June 9, 1888. 

The San Fraiieisco Daily Chroni- 
cle of June 20, 18S8, said : 

" A bunch of Tokay grapes raised 
near Yuma City, A. T., was re- 
ceived at this office yesterday. It 
was sent by the editor of the Senti- 
nel, and evidently designed as a re- 
minder of the fact that for early 
fruits Arizona, especially that region 
near the Colorado River, can beat 
any other section of our glorious 
Union. The grapes were fully 
matured." 

On July 21, 1888, the Sentinel 
had the following : 

" Hiram W\ Blaisdell sent a box of 
'Niagara' and 'Rose of Peru' 
grapes to Concord, Mass., some time 



— 16 — 



ago and they reached their destina- 
tion in first-class condition. The 
former variety Avere grown at Pay- 
master and the latter at Yuma.'' 

And again on Angust 4, 1S88 : 
" Phu'iiix shipped her first car 
load of Muscat grapes July 25 ; 
nearly four weeks after Muscat 
grapes were perfectly ripe here.'' 

" Captain Fred W. Smith, of Mo- 
hawk Valley, planted watermelons 
on his ranch May "iTth, and on July 
31st presented this oflice with a fine, 
ripe watermelon weighing thirty- 
seven pounds, just sixty-four days 
from the day the seed was planted. 
Captain Smith's ranch is one of the 
best in the valley." 

Ttie following items were repro- 
duced in the Sentinel on July 21, 
1888: 

'' Miss Ella l^urton, of Yuma, 
Ariz., has sent the Courier a box 
containing several varieties of the 
excellent grapes grown in that far- 
away land. Nothing of the kind was 
ever before seen in this city. They 
came through sound as a dollar and 
were highly appreciated by all in 
the office. It is comforting to be 
thus remembered by friends who 
have gone from us for other homes." 
— CliarlestoH {111.) Courier. 

" Many thanks are due ])r. Tag- 
gart, of Arizona, by the hand 
of his sister, Mrs. A. E, Rowley, for 
a couple of nice bunches of ripe 
grapes grown this season. They 
began to ripen about the first of 
June, and although a little too ripe 
for long shi2)ment nevertheless were 
fine looking and of excellent flavor. 
Wisconsin oaks have only fairly 
donned their summer hue when 
Arizona grapes are in full fruitage. 
— Evansville {Wis.) Review.''' 

From the Sentinel, October Gtli, 
1888: 

''Watermelons of the largest and 
luscious varieties are still common. 



''Mr. Wills, of Aztec, Yuma 
County, dug a sweet potato last 
week weighing twenty-five pounds."' 

From the Sentinel, November 7th. 
1888: 

" Our splendid oranges and 
lemons are the first to ripen on the 
Pacific Coast. 

" I'he finest oranges and lemons 
on the Pacific Coast are grown right 
here in ^'uma. 

" For fragrant flowers, daily 
sunshine and the best climate in the 
world, come to Yuma County."' 

From the Sentinel, December 
15, 1888: 

" Senator Leland Stanford and 
wife arrived here, in their private car, 
on last Saturday morning. Mr. O. 
F. Thornton presented the Senator 
with some Yuma oranges, lemons, 
figs and olives, which were accepted 
with great j)leasnre by Mr. Stanford, 
who was astonished to learn that we 
raised oUch fruit here. He said 
that Y'unia County was bound to be- 
come a great agricultural and fruit- 
raising section. Before his depart- 
ure he told Mr. Thornton that he 
would take good care of the fruit, as 
he intended exhibiting the same on 
the floor of the United States Senate 
to show what can be done by irriga- 
tion in a country that was formerly 
believed to be a desert. 

" Olives are ripening fast. 

'MVhite Adriatic figs, ripe and 
delicious, are abundant in the gar- 
dens here. 

'•'Watermelons and cantaloupes 
are still plentiful. 

'' The display of our citrus 
fruit on the floor of the U. S. Senate 
by Governor Stanford will be a 
great anvertisement for Yuma 
county, the garden-spot of Arizona." 

The foregoing closes the record 
for 1888, and the most skeptical will 
have to admit that it is an enviable 
one. That for 1 889 up to date of June 
15th is no less remarkable. 



— 17 



The record for 1889 begins with 
February 16th, quoting from the 
Sentinel: 

" The apricot, orange, lime and 
lemon trees are in blossom. 

'•' The fig trees and grape vines are 
in leaf, and in many of the village 
gardens some of the vines have al- 
ready made a new growth of several 
inches." 

Saturday, April 20th, 1889, same 
paper : 

^' Plant more stiawberriesand Lo- 
qiiat plums ; ' there's millions in 
it.' 

" The grape vines have shed their 
blossoms and are now full of large 
clusters of fruit. 

" Plant persimmons, pecans and 
pineapples ; they will do well in the 
Gila and Colorado valleys. 

" Ripe figs, mulberries and apri- 
cots in Yuma gardens April 14th. 
How is the above record, neighbors, 
for early fruits ? 

" Ripe figs picked in Judge C. H. 
Brinley's garden April 14th." 

On Hay 31sl, 1889, llie San 
Franci§co Chronicle had the 
lolloAving- about the most 
favored locality in the State of 
California : 

" The first ripe figs of this sea- 
son's growth w. re received in this 
city May 34th, and came from Palm 
Valley, San Diego County, on the 
line of the .Southern Pacific Railroad. 
A box of the fruit was received at 
the C/iro/?ic/e office, comprising spe- 
cimens of the Iscliia, Smyrna and 
Genoa fig. They were well ripened, 
large and of luscious flavor. Fruit 
dealers say that any quantity could 
readily be sold in this city at from 
25 to 50 cents per pound. The lo- 
cality from which the figs came is 
tlie earliest fruit region in the State. 
Grapes are expected to be ripe this 
week and all other fruits mature far 
in advance of any other part of Cali- 
fornia." 



As will be seen from the record 
from Yuma County, figs were ripe 
on April 14th, a month and ten days 
ahead of the Chronicle notice. On 
June 1st the Sentinel said: 

" Ripe grapes, May 2?th; how are 
you, \'acaville? 

" Ripe watermelons and canta- 
loupes are plentiful and cheap. 

" The lime, lemon and orange crop 
this season will be unusually large. 

'' If you want quick returns and 
profits, plant figs, grapes, limes and 
pineapples. 

" Yuma County's early fruits will 
make our lands, in a few years, of 
almost fabulous value." 

On June 8th the Sentinel pub- 
lished the following, which is self 
explanatory: 

"It is published that the first figs 
of the season received in San Fran- 
cisco brought 50 cents per pound, 
and were grown on the Colorado 
desert at Palm Valley, near Indio 
Station. Grapes are expected from 
there soon. The experiment of 
tropical fruit culture begun at that 
point promises to be a success. — 
Los Angeles Times. 

" The first figs of the season were 
from Yuma, and not from Palm Val- 
ley. Grapes here are ripe and the 
first were picked May 27th. The 
' Yuma figs ' brought 11.00 per 
pound in the San Francisco market, 
notice of which was made in last 
Saturday's Sentinel. If the Times 
would receive this paper regularly it 
would be 230sted on early fruits, as 
Yuma County ' leads them all.' " 

The Becord- Union, of Sacramento, 
in the early days of June, 1889, pub- 
lished the following: 

" There is on exhibition at the 
office of Albert Ijoonard, on Fourth 
street, both black and white figs, 
fully ripe. They have been placed 
there by Dr. Southworth, who re- 
ceived them from Dr. Taggart, of 
Yuma, upon whose garden land at 
that place they grew. They are fine 



— 18 — 



specimens, and are fully a month in 
advance of the figs of California. A 
great, ma)iy Sacramentans are inter- 
ested in agriculture in the vicinity 
of Yuma, and not very far from 
there in what is known as Mohawk 
Valley."' 

The Pomona (Cal.) Register of 
June (ith, says : 

" The Yuma Sentinel reports ripe 
watermelons, cantalou])es, green- 
corn, grapes, figs and apricots, all 
fresh, luscious and home-grown, 
abundant and cheap. Yuma County, 
A. T., is up an' comin', and will get 
there by and by, solidly with both 
feet." 

With the two following items from 
the Sentinel of June 15th, we close 
the record for this year: 

" Crepe myrtle, honeysuckle, cape 
jasmine and myriads of other lovely 
and fragrant flowers fill our village 
gardens with the beauteous gifts of 
nature." 

"The mean temperature for the 
month of May, according to the 
United States Signal Office reports, 
in Arizona, was as follows: Bowie, 
76; Globe, 78; McDowell, 74; Pho'- 
nix, 79 ; and Yuma, 77 degrees." 

An A^fricultiiral ]?Iarvcl. 

The attention of readers of the 
Sentinel is called to the subjoined 
letter from the Chrystoval corre- 
spondent of this paper. " Mohawk " 
is a thoroughly reliable gentleman, 
and every statement made by him is 
deserving of the most implicib belief. 
The wonderful erowth of alfalfa de- 



scribed by him is, we believe, i;n- 
paralleled in the annals of agricul- 
tural productiveness. Yuma County 
and its superb valley, the Mohawk, 
stands above any portion of the much 
vaunted Southern Califoi'iiia: 

ClIKYSTOVAL, Y'UMA Co.. AlUZ., 

July 1, 1S89. 
Editor Arizona Sentinel: 

Why have you not told your i-ead- 
ers about (ieorge W. Norton's won- 
derful field of alfalfa on his '"^louut 
of Olives" rancho, in the Mohawk 
Valley? Last November he meas- 
ured off eight acres and plowed 
and seeded it with twenty })ounds 
of seed to the acre. In April he cut 
it the first time and had twenty tons 
of cured hay. Early in June he cut 
it the second time ; and had twenty- 
four tons of cured hay. This is no 
guesswork, but the amount has 
been arrived at by rnited States 
Government measurement rules for 
buying forage for the army, the 
measurement having been made by 
L. A. Ilicks, civil engineer, and en- 
gineer for the ]\[ohawk Canal. On 
Saturday last, June '21)th, the grow- 
ing alfalfa was measured aiul stood 
32 inches high, having grown witliin 
a fraction of 14 inches per day since 
the last mowing. This is a state- 
ment of cold, naked facts, that can 
be verified by the oath of a dozen as 
good men as live in Arizona. 

Now. Mr. Editor, will you tell 

your readers what such land with 

perpetual water rights is worth ])er 

acre? Mohawk. 

— Yuma Sentinel, Julv (i, 1889. 



W^ 


^=^:— 


WM 




- — 



DOES FRLTIT CiROWI.VO PAY? 



Will it pay ? is the first question 
asked by an American, let the sub- 
ject be what it may. It is a perti- 
nent question, too, in this bustling, 
toiling life in the nineteenth cen- 
tury. Competition is too active, too 
strong for a man to waste his energy 
for mere glory. The only wa}'' to 
solve the problem of whether fruiL 
growing pays or not, is to appeal 
to the records of what has been 
done by those engaged in the in- 
dustry. Californians have entered 
more extensively and systematically 
into the business than any other 
people in the United States, and it 
i.s to them we must appeal for the 
solution of this problem. California 
fruit lands are higher priced than 
elsewhere, and it is upon the iiivest- 
nient in them that we must look for 
results. Kaw lands and water 
rights in the citrus belts of that 
State command from 1100 to 1500 
per acre. To get an orange orchard 
into full bearing will cost another 
$250 an acre. Taking the maximum 
price of land and water, $500 an 
acre, and add the $250, and we have 
a total of $750. Ten per cent, on 
that means a net income of $75 per 
acre. This is tlie theoretical state- 
ment of the case. Now, what are 
the practical results ? 

The San Francisco Chronicle, in 
its issue of January 31, 1889, said • 

" Lewis Cram, of San Bernardino, 
will sell $1,500 worth of oranges 
from a single acre of orchard this 
year of grace." 

Iiieonie from Oraiige§. 

From the Cliico Cliampion, May, 
1889 : 

'■'That from $200 to $1,000 per 
acre have been realized from orange 
orchards in this and Los Angeles 
Counties is an undisputed fact ; it 
is also a fact that the people gen- 



erally believe such yields are few and 
obtained from only five to twenty 
acres scattered over a large extent of 
country. Both may be accepted as 
facts, and yet another fact may be 
insisted upon, viz.: That what one 
or a few can do may be done by 
others under the same conditions. 
The San Bernardino Times-Index 
recently published accounts of very 
large incomes from certain orchards 
and followed up by this interesting 
statement in a general way : 

Riverside has 3,000 acres planted 
to orange trees and these trees are 
in partial bearing, some of them 
being in pretty full bearing. The 
3,000 acres will yield 900 car loads 
of oranges, or 270,000 boxes, an 
average of 90 boxes to the acre, that 
will net the owners an average of $2 
a box on the trees, as the Seedlings 
sell for from $1.50 to $1.75 per box 
on the tree, and the Navels sell for 
$3 a box on the tree. This gives an 
annual average income of $180 an 
acre, while the trees are not yet in 
full bearing, and the crop is increas- 
ing every year. This income of 
$540,000 will pay interest at the rate 
of ten per cent, on a capital of $5,- 
400,000. The actual value of 3,000 
acres of land is an average valuation 
of $1,800 an acre, with growing 
orchards that make the places more 
valuable each year. 

Think of 3,000 acres in almost a 
solid body yielding an average $185 
per acre, or about $150 net profit. 
Is there a parallel to this in any 
other country or State ? These 
3,000 acres are probably cultivated by 
two hundred or more proprietors in 
tracts of two and one-half to twenty 
or more acres. This suggests that 
while many tracts had the best of 
care, perhaps some did not. Then 
the fruit was not all the highest 
priced variety, but of several kinds. 



— 20 — 



Suppose this income is reduced 
oue-lialf, the hxnd still yields a 
revenue with money at ten per cent, 
per annum that makes the orchards 
worth almost ^1,000 per acre. 

Orchiirds of prunes, apricots, 
peaches, grapes, cherries and apples 
in San Bernardino County have, in 
numerous instances, proved them- 
selves worth at least |(1,000 an acre. 
Of course time, good judgment and 
much labor are required to give land 
this value, but that it can be ac- 
complished by the thousands of 
acres is a well-settled fact — and a 
fact worth thinking about in mak- 
ing an estimate of the future of this 
favored land," 

Early Fruit. 
The San Francisco Chronicle, 
111 an c<lit4»rial under date of 
June 2, 1«§9, said : 

'•It is the early orchardist that 
catches the cream of the profits in 
the fruit growingbusiness, and this, 
not alone because people are fruit 
hungry, but because of the natural 
feeling of rivalry and emulation 
among purchasers. There are 
plenty of people who would really 
})refei- to pay extravagant prices for 
the first strawberries or the first 
peaches, simply because they are the 
first, rather than to wait a while 
until they get cheaper and better, 
and this is the class for whom the 
grower of early fruit works. It 
may be a fad or a foible, but it 
serves a useful purpose, and we may 
be sure that the producer of early 
fruit does not inquire too curiously 
into the motives which animate the 
purchaser of his products, Sotne 
day CaUfiirnia will have a formid- 
able rival in the j^roduclion of earl)/ 
fruit in Arizona. Already in ma)i.y 
places in that Territory they raise 
grapes which mature a full month 
earlier than California grapes, and 
by and by, when the tvafer problem 
is solved there, we need not at all be 
su7'prised to find Arizona aiiticipat- 



ing us in other fruits as well. But 
we shall not complain, California 
has enough to be proud of without 
being jealous or envious if a neigh- 
bor has a little warmer sunshine 
than she has or a little drier atmos- 
phere. We can rejoice sincerely in 
the prosperity of Arizona, from 
whatever source it may proceed." 

Value of Oraiig;e T^aiid. 

San Bernardino Times, Januarv, 
1889 : 

''Two years ago J, Hewittson 
bought of A. J, Twogood, at Kiver- 
side, his old home place of twenty- 
seven acres for ^28,000, and at that 
time many thought it was a large 
price for the place. That year he 
sold from fourteen acres the orange 
crop on the trees for $9,000. This 
year from the same, with the addi- 
tion of a few from four acres of young 
trees, he sold the crop for 810,000 
cash. He has thus in two years 
taken in !i;19,000 on his 128,000 pur- 
chase, and with one more year he 
will have cleared the entire purchase 
price and something over, with an 
annual income from $15,000 to 
$20,000 when the nine acres of young 
trees come into bearing. 

This is the result of care and work 
in looking after the orchard. His 
expenses are about $1,200 a year on 
the whole twenty-seven aci'es, for 
he believes in thorough cultivation 
and the plentiful use of fertilizers, 

What has been done in this case 
can be duplicated by nearly every 
orchard in the valley. What has 
been done at Eiverside can be done 
at Highlands, Kedlands or Ontario, 
The soil is all right, and with proper 
care and attention other orchards 
can make as good a yield as that of 
Mr, Hewittson, 

The trees on the fourteen acres of 
bearing orchard from which the 
above income was derived are solf- 
seedlings, nineteen years old, and 
half-navels, eight years of age, the 
income from the former being the 



01 



greatest, owing to the large size and 
age of the trees. 

Now the question arises, ' What 
is good orange laud worth ?' With- 
out cultivation it is worth nothing, 
but with care and good cultivation 
it is worth more than is asked for 
any tract in Southern California." 

Other Fruiti. 

But, says the reader, your evidence 
is all about the orange ; now what of 
other fruits? I will let a correspond- 
ent of the Alliambra, published in 
the little town of that name, seven 
miles East of Los Angeles, Cal., tell 
his experience. He said in August, 
1888 : 

" My ten acres were a delight to 
all who saw them, so beautiful was 
the growth of trees, nursery, berries, 
vines, roses and shrubs. We were 
very proud of our place and enjoyed 
it for its beauty as well as for the 
profit. 

From the berries we used all we 
warned for our family putting up, 
making jams and jellies to last 



through winter. This account is 
from cash receipts : 

One acre strawberries, 

3,050 boxes, at 12^ cts.. UbQ 25 

Rasi)berries, 3 acres 820 00 

Blackberries, 2 acres 733 50 

One thousand orange trees. 

at 50 cts . 500 00 

One hundred lemon trees, 

at 40 cts 40 00 

Eoses, rooted 23 00 

Milk sold 95 00 

Eggs and broilers sold 46 00 

Net $2,712 75 

My net income was $2,712.75. I 
had help part of the time during the 
picking season, which I paid with 
berries not included in the above. Of 
course I do not count my own labor, 
nor that of my good wife and two 
boys, nor of Baby Rose. We all 
worked — worked hard — but not to 
the detriment of our strength. Not 
a lick was struck except to count. 
Our plans were matured and faith- 
fully worked out." 




The foregoing extracts have been general statements, therefore, for the 
benefit of those liking details, the following on small farming in Los 
Angeles County is introduced to show what may be done on high-priced 
land by other than orange growing. The article is given in full just as 
it appeared in the Times on December 26, 1888. The reader should bear 
in mind that whatever they can do in Los Angeles or in any other county 
in California, we can do right here in Yuma County a little better, 
because of our abundance of water, rich land and earlier seasons. 



SMALL FARIfllBfO. 

Esliiiiatoi of Wliat Can Be Done in L.om An;;ele!<i Connty. 

"Los Angp:les, December "'(itli. modestly, as follows : si liouse of four 

*' To the Edit or of the Times: rooms, each twelve feet square, §350 ; 

" The single glaring universal barn for two horses, wagon and feed, 

complaint that is made of this .South- $75 ; chicken houses and yards, §25 ; 

ern California, and used especially as corrals for cow and hogs, §25 ; well, 

capital stock for peopling the middle §25. §500 will stock and seed the 

and upper portions of this Coast, is place, thus : One span of horses, 

that this is no country for the poor §200 ; one wagon, §100 ; harness, 

man or man of small means. The §25 ; cow, §50 ; eiglit dozen hens, 

fact is generally conceded that the §60 ; two shoats, §10 ; seed Irish po- 

country has unrivaled attractions for tatoes for four acres, 4,000 pounds, 

the Avealthy. §40 ; seed corn, sweet potatoes, plants 

I wish to state a few plain, potent for one acre, pumpkin seed, vegeta- 

facts — facts easily verified by anyone ble seed, etc., §15. §250 will feed a 

— to show that this is empluitically a family of four persons one year, as 

good country for the small farmer, be- follows : 1,200 pounds of flour, §30 ; 

cause he can enjoy all the delights of 1,000 pounds of meat, §120 ; 24 

this climate as Avell as the rich, and pounds of coffee, §12 ; 24 pounds of 

at the same time accumulate more tea, §12 ; 240 pounds of sugar, §24 : 

wealth in ten years than in a lifetime dried fruit, spices, baking powder, 

of unremitting toil in any country soap, etc., §27 ; vegetables, six 

of long Avinters and its accompanying months, §25; §120 will feed team, 

needs. The various prices of land are chickens and pigs six months. As 

rehearsed elsewhere in this paper, allowance has now been made for 

sol will confine my calculations to feeding man and team, no cost should 

one price and class of land, which will be estimated for plowing the land 

illustrate all of its class. and cultivating the trees and crops. 

Let me give an illustration : Take $285 will set the whole 20 acres out 

land at §150 per acre ; 20 acres would to trees in orchard form in tliis way : 

cost §3,000, to be paid for in four A mixed lot of English walnuts, ap- 

equal annual payments at 7 per cent, pies, peaches, pears, figs and prunes 

interest. First payment, §750 cash ; will cost §225 ; planting the trees, 

second payment, $750, interest twenty-four feet apart, 75 trees to the 

$157.50— §907.50 at the end of acre, making 1,500 trees, §00 will set 

the second year ; third payment, them out, at 4 cents apiece. 

$750, interest $105 — §855 at the end We have now reached the total ex- 

of the first year ; fourth payment, pense of the whole year, with two ex- 

$750, interest §52.50 — §802.50 at ceptions, which would be covered by 

the end of the third year. Where unestimated produce of the place af- 

need appears the payments might be ter that time. After liaving made 

extended over a space of five years, new estimates that, in the cases of 

enabling a man to make from the many poor men, will exceed the 

land itself all but the first payment amount annually spent by one-lialf, 

and cost of starting, as will be seen we reach a total of §2,405. 

by the following estimates : $500 will We will now figure the ])roduct of 

make all the necessary improvements the land for one year. Four acres 

for a man who is willing to start of potatoes will yield 75 sacks to an 



— 23 — 



acre (this amount is often doubled), 
which would give 300 sacks, worth 
1300. One acre sweet potatoes, 75 
sacks, 8150. Five acres of the land 
devoted to corn, pumpkins, vegeta- 
bles, etc., we will store for use the 
last six months of the year and the 
next season. Ten acres of barley or 
corn will bring from 110 to 125 per 
acre, say 1100. We will allow the 
cow nothing for family use, although 
butter is 40 cents per pound, but 
from the hens we will sell 200 broil- 
ers for 8100. We will sell an aver- 
age of 25 eggs each day, at 35 cents 
per dozen, 11263.20. Total product 
of the place, first year, |9U. 20._ The 
second payment, due at this time, is 
a little more than met. 

These figures, any economical 
farmer will see, are liberal in several 
ways ; besides a good sized family is 
fed while the labor of one man is al- 
lowed for ; while many items like 
onions, cabbages, tomatoes, pump- 
kins, etc., are not estimated at all, 
nor anything for the hogs, from 
which 1200 or $300 annually can be 
realized at very little expense. 

The second year the feed and veg- 
etables carried over, together with the 
additional productiveness of the poul- 
try and hogs, and a small crop of 
peaches, will meet the second year's 
expenses and pay the next payment 
of 8855 easily. 

But now, when finally the third 
year's harvestis reached, the farmer's 
joy blossoms out into a nice little 
l^ank account that will grow rapidly 
from this time as the years go on. 

Apples this year will produce from 
100 to 200 pounds to the tree ; 
peaches from 150 to 300 pounds. 
Avorth from 81.00 to 82.00 per 100 
pounds ; walnuts and pears will come 
in well on the fourth and fifth years. 

But now, at the end of the third 
year, we have the last payment of 
8802.50, made as before, and an ad- 
ditional amount at the minimum es- 
timate from 10 acres in apples and 
peaches of 8750. At four years old, 



peaches produce as high as 8300 per 
acre, and apples nearly as well. 

If any one is skeptical regarding 
the foregoing figures, I will give him 
names of representative, reliable 
farmers here who are doing these 
very things, and much better, with 
whom he can correspond. 

Were there timeand space, I would 
like to demonstrate the capacity of 
many localities for profitable farming 
with grain and stock, and show what 
is being done. b. M. Town, 

44 No. Spring St." 

L.eiuoii§ for Profit. 

Thus far nothing has been said for 
the lemon, and Californians do not 
say much for it because of their great 
difficulty (climatic) in producing 
and curing merchantable fruit. Their 
finest fruit has to go through a cur- 
ing process that takes from four to 
six weeks, with endless care. Then, 
again, they cannot grow a Sicily 
lemon that is at all comparable with 
the imported article ; therefore the 
sales are dull and, compared with 
oranges, discouraging. The long, dry 
seasons of Yuma County work a 
marvelous change in the lemon as 
compared with California. The fruit 
is fine in size, color and flavor, and 
the skin comparable to a fine fitting 
kid glove upon the hand of the 
wearer. It can be plucked from the 
trees like the orange and packed di- 
rectly into boxes for shipment and 
will arrive at its destination, be it far 
or near, in splendid condition. It 
will keep for months with no per- 
ceptible loss of juice, and without 
absorption by the fruit of the bitter 
lemon oil of the rind, to prevent 
which early picking, sweetening and 
curing are necessary in other places. 
The writer saw a tree in the garden of 
John Grondolfo, Esq., Yuma, last De- 
cember, with two large limbs broken 
to the ground with its weight of fruit. 
Later we learned that Mr. Goidolfo 
had sold a portion of the crop for 
825, and, estimated what his family 



24 



had used and those on tlie tree at §15 ways sees the l>hick llaniburg aud 
more, making for this one tree a value Golden Chasselas, deliciously ripe, 
of $40. 'J'he tree had been planted loading the vines. Tiiese are sue- 
where it stood only four yeai's and ceeded by Tokay, Rose of Peru, 
was probably two years old, possibly Purple Emperor, Black Morocco, 
three, when planted. Taking an Fihrzahgos and Muscatels, all the 



acre of such trees — 100 of them to 
the acre — and what would be the 
gross iucome? Four thousand dol- 
lars taking the maximum, or $2,500 
onlv counting the actual cash sales 



choicest of table or raisin grapes. 
They come at a season when we 
have the whole United States for a 
market. Can any one doubt the 
price they will bring during June 



when reported. I repeat with all the and July, before there is any active 
force of truth that such a result may competition? Ten cents net to 
be attained with the lemon in Yuma the grower is a reasonable estimate. 
County. Jiut to do this it will take Three tons to the acre in the fourth 
energy guided by practical common year is the estimate put upon the 
sense. Mr, (Jondolfo says he would yield by practical California grow- 
rather have five acres of lemons than ers. That means just six liundred 
ten of oranges, for profit. He speaks dollars an acre. In the light of 
from experience. Limes grow and such facts as these, what will land 
bear equally Avell in Yuma, and will with perpetual water be worth? 



pay equally well. 



Fis 



llie IVIillioii!«. 

sense figs may 



for 

Ju a literal sense figs may be 
raised here for the millions of 
people in the United States. No- 
where have we ever seen them sur- 



Will one thousand dollars an acre 
be extravagant? Let us see what 
such property is worth in California. 
In the winter of 1888 a Mr. Buck, 
one of the greatest fruit growers in 
California, bought 150 acres of bear- 
ing apricot and peach orchard in 



passed. A four-year-old tree m Dr. J. y^ca Vallev, paving therefor $90,- 

11. Taggart's garden, m Yuma, was qoO, or just $600 an acre, and he 

measured by the writer in Decem- valued it at $1,000. Here is a tele- 

l)er, 1888, and it had a spread of g^am cut from the San Francisco 

top 24 feet m diameter. It was of ^/^^.^^jc/e of June 25th that 

the large purple variety, and had records the sale of orange land at 

matured its third crop that season. Pomona. Cal 

A younger White Adriatic growing 

near was loaded with fruit in all 

stages of growth, from the set to 

the desid-ripe. It had borne steadily 

all the season. Figs shipped to 

San Francisco in April, 1889, sold 

for one dollar per pound. The 

grower can safely count on realizing 

ten cents a pound net for all the 

early figs he can put in the market. 

Two hundred and fifty dollars to 



at over $1,200 an 
acre. We give its headlines and all 
to show the reader how it looked in 
the columns of the Chronicle : 



I.AXD. 



^' II l<* ISoiitflit at Over Twelve 
Hundred l>ollar!!i an Aere.'' 

Pomona, June 34th. 
"To-diiy the sale of fiftj'-live acres of 
five hundred dollars per acre would unimpioved land in Pomona Valley 
not be an overestimate after the 



trees are four years old. 

<*i'a|>e«<, KaiKiiiN, Wine. 

All the varieties of grapes known 
to man can be successfully grown in 
this climate. Tlie first of June al- 



wjs made to William J. Florence, the 
comedian, for .•?OS,00(). Mr. Florence 
lias about •'?20,000 more invested in this 
locality, and has made large profits on 
his invostments two years ago. His 
agent lias been making overtures for 
tiu! new puichase for over six months. 
The land will be cleared this season and 



25 — 



water will be piped to the property. It 
is the intention to jilant fruit trees 
there next spring." 

Enough has been said to set any 
reasonable man to thinking. To 
the dwellers on the Pacific Coast 
the facts set forth will all appear 
like the faces of old friends, so 
familiar are they Avith them. They 
have been dnplicated in almost 
every town and hamlet in the State. 



Here, in Arizona, we are just begin- 
ning to realize that energy will build 
up a decayed empire, equal in wealth 
and influence to that of our neigh- 
bor on the west. Volumes might 
be written and not exhaust the sub- 
ject, but it is not our object to tire, 
bu simply to stimulate investiga- 
tion which will lead to practical re- 
sults ; therefore we pass to other 
matter. 



IRRIOATIOIV HATTERS. 



Tlie Oldest System of Irrigation 
KiioAvn to Man. 

Irrigation has been intimately con- 
nected with the history of agricul- 
ture from the earliest history of the 
human race. Egypt, India, Mo- 
rocco, Spain, Italy and France all 
furnish evidence of this fact. Amer- 
ica is not many centuries in the back- 
ground, if not coequal with the re- 
puted land where originated our 
race. Right here in Arizona are the 
remains of a system of canals and 
reservoirs that it will take years and 
millions of dollars to duplicate with 
all the facilities of the nineteenth 
century. The Salt River and the 
Gila valleys have remains of canals, 
the w^aters from which fructified and 
made fertile their valley lands and 
adjoining plains; and the ruins of 
numerous cities give evidence of a 
population as dense as that of Eu- 
rope or Asia. Who these ancient 
people were there is neither record 
(other than the ruins of cities and 
canals) nor tradition, nor do Ave 
know by Avhat calamit}"^ they Avere 
swept off the face of the earth. South 
America, when first taken posses- 
sion of by the Incas, had the remains 
of public works such as will never 
be again duplicated. That those 
ancient people practiced irrigation 
is patent from tlie fact that there is 
no rainfall Avest of the Andes, and 



everything grown there to-day is by 
irrigation. The people of the West- 
ern States and the Territories are but 
rehabilitating that Avhich had fallen 
into decay many thousand years ago 
—so far as Arizona is concerned. 
That they Avill make a success of it 
— make it pay — there is no doubt. 
They have already done that Avith 
their infantile beginnings. 

It Avill be interesting here to note 
Avhat the Government of India had 
done up to 1873. It had spent up to 
that time $175,000,000 in irrigation 
Avorks, Avhere common labor only 
costs 124- cents per day. The net 
revenue on this vast sum had been 
eight per cent, per annum. Its 
greatest canal, the Ganges, Avhich 
cost $55,000,000, is 170 feet Avide and 
carries 10 feet depth of Avater and 
serves 1,000.000 acres. The mean 
annual rental was then $1.21 per 
acre; sugar cane paying $2.20 and 
Avheat 60 cents per acre. 

The Moors introduced their superb 
system of irrigation into Spain, and 
during their occupancy of the coun- 
try developed its agriculture to the 
highest possible degree. Since their 
expulsion, many of their Avorks have 
fallen into decay, but enough re- 
mains to make the country rich in 
those elements that go to support 
human life. Water there is valued 
Avitli land as five to one. Irrigated 



— -36 — 



luiids sell fur from s^lOO to 8900 per 
acre, and dr}' land for $80. The 
rental of water is much higher in 
Spain than India, owing to its scar- 
city. In 18G1 eleven tliou-sand dollars 
was paid for the use of one cubic 
foot, or 50 miners' inches, for the 
season. The government then regu- 
lated the price by law, iixing 81,875 
per cubic foot as the niaxiiuum. 

The duty that water is made to do 
is regulated by the nature of the 
soil, and its abundance and scarcity. 
In India one cubic foot per second 
serves oOO acres; in Valencia and 
Grenada, Spain, 240 acres; in Elche, 
Spain, 1,000 acres, water being very 
scarce. In Arizona from 200 to 500 
acres, according to the supply. On 
this subject the Boston Transcript 
says : 

'' Irrigation is the oldest system 
of agriculture known. It was un- 
derstood in the infant days of the 
race, on the plains of Persia, Baby- 
lon and Assyria, where it is in prac- 
tice now. Adam, probably, after be- 
ing driven out of Eden and com- 
pelled to earn liis living by tlie 
sweat of his brow, must have learned 
to raise crops by irrigation, on the 
Mesopotamia. The richest and most 
productive regions on the earth have 
been cultivated in this manner for 
thousands of years. The valle\ of 
the Nile, the greater portion of In- 
dia, the green plains of Lombardy, 
the beautiful fields of Castile, have 
always depended on irrigation for 
crops. 

*' Though subject to such a system 
for thousands of years, they have to- 
day the most productive spots on 
the earth and support a dense popu- 
lation — in India 200 to GOO souls to 
the square mile; in Piedmont, Italy, 
270; and 399 persons for Lombardy. 
Irrigated portions of Spain have 
populutions from 200 to 400 souls 
to the square mile. Egypt, ''the 
granary of the world," has a popula- 
tion of 4S4 to the squan^ mile. In 
the United States irrigation js 



practiced in Southern California, 
New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and 
Utah. 

One cubic foot per second will flood 
300 acres of loamy soil, but by care- 
ful economy, distribution of pipes, 
1,300 to 1,500 acres are cultivated 
by one cubic foot per second. Seven- 
teen thousand acres of land in Los 
Angeles County are irrigated by this 
means. The judicious application 
of water has made Los Angeles the 
garden of California. The immense 
valleys of the Gila. Salt River, San 
Pedro, Sulphur Spring and San 
Simon, of Arizona, have an abund- 
ant supply of water for irrigation. 
These valleys drain a vast extent of 
country, and the waters which flow 
through them have their source in 
the lofty mountains thousands of 
feet above, and contain inexhausti- 
ble quantities of water. 

Congress could never put a small 
portion of the sur])lus public money to 
better use than to furnish flowing 
water for these dry plains and val- 
leys. The benefits to stock raising 
and farming industries would be in- 
calculable, as the area of agricul- 
tural and grazing land would be in- 
creased a thousandfolds. Congress 
or capitalists have only to observe 
what has been done in California 
with a limited water supply, and 
there are valleys in Arizona superior 
to any in the Golden State." 

Wlial I lie €'liu'a;;4» T-]ooii4>iiii<>l 

Under date of May 11, 1889, the 
able journal the Chicago Erovomist 
said : 

" The article on irrigation in this 
issue is ((uite worthy of careful peru- 
sal, not only on account of its rela- 
tion to agriculture and the develop- 
ment of the country, but from the 
standpoint of persons seeking new 
opportunities for investment. It is 
written by a man thoroughly con- 
versant with the subject, and brings 
out clearly points of which many 



people liave but an indefinite knowl- 
edge. The importance of tliis inter- 
est is not generally appreciated. 
Great areas of land which otherwise 
would never have been of any use to 
man, have been made productive. 
Irrigated lands even have an advan- 
tage over those watered by nature, 
in the fact that the quantity of 
moisture can be regulated according 
to the needs of the crop. The suc- 
ce^tliat has attended irrigation will 
inevite,bly stimulate enterprise in 
that line hereafter, and millions of 
acres of land heretofore counted out 
in the estimates of this country's 
wealth will, in future years, help to 
swell the ffrand total." 



IRRIOATIOK. 



An Interesting Article by an Expert, 
Showing its Advantages, the Metliods 
of Operation and the Results in some 
Test Cases — The Financial Elemefits 
oj the Industry^Proflts 07iCapital In- 
vested — ^4 Clear Explanation of a 
Subject Imperfectly Understood in 
this Part of the Country. 

Editor of the Economist : 

In view of the growing interest 
in irrigation, some data may be 
timely which will give an idea of 
the enterprise at various stages, 
which have demonstrated and are 
demonstrating the advantages to be 
derived from a water supply, and 
the remarkable profits which are 
being realized from such invest- 
ments. A brief review of the suc- 
cessive steps by which the present 
growth of the irrigating industry has 
been attained will enable a better 
understanding of the later phases 
of the subject. 

The single farmer began by using 
the water from a little rivulet upon 
his farm, and proved the success 
of irrigating to that extent — he 
got a taste of the additional prof- 
its which result from having per- 
fect control of the water supply 
to the growing crops. When it be- 
came necessary to combine more 



than a single interest, a few neigh- 
bors joined in taking out the main 
ditch, and all of them shared in the 
experience gained and in the profits 
accruing. Farmers do not, as a rule, 
have large sums of surplus cash in 
hand; and still larger undertakings 
than those referred to, where the 
water supply to be controlled was 
too large for their handling alone, 
secured the co-operation of the mer- 
chants and moneyed men of the lo- 
cality, uniting the resources of cap- 
ital and labor to the common ad- 
vantage. 

Then came the next natural step. 
Enterprises which would reclaim 
and make productive a few hundred 
or a few thousand acres had to be 
undertaken by partnerships or by 
corporations which would command 
anywhere from 15,000 to 150,000 
capital, and these in turn demon- 
strated the practicability of such 
undertakings, and the fact that such 
investments are more than ordina- 
rily profitable. 

The industry has passed all these 
several stages, and now has come to 
the utilization of the larger streams, 
the reclaiming of the larger tracts 
of land. It has developed that the 
high or mesa lands, when watered, 
are more desirable than such river 
bottoms as need no irrigation. The 
uplands of Eiverside and other Cal- 
ifornia colonies are planted to fine 
fruits, which yield more than $100 
an acre annually ; the Avet bottom 
lands are planted to grain and hay, 
which will yield from 1:25 to |>50 an 
acre. Fruits grown on such bottom 
lands are not as good for the table. 
The trees produce more wood, but 
less and poorer fruit. 

To get the water on these high 
lands requires expensive dams, large 
and long canals, often to be cut 
through the rock, tunneling to save 
distaiice or to surmount some obsta- 
cle in the way ; it requires engineer- 
ing skill of a high order and large 
sums of money. Such enterprises 



— 28 



are out of the reacli of local capi- 
tal. They are like the railroads, a 
class of semi-public Avorks, for the 
pul)lic benefit. They have been 
found to yield large profits to the 
investors in them. 

Experience proves that there is 
demand for irrigated lands, which 
keeps pace with the capacity of the 
undertakings to reclaim them, and 
that demand is becoming more and 
more pronounced. 

A farmer who will scratch and 
grub all his life to get a mere living 
from a hundred and sixty acre farm 
will acquire a competency from 
twenty acres in a very few years 
wheie he lias control of the water 
supply, lie need not work half so 
hard and may enjoy some of the 
luxuries and comforts of life as he 
goes along. Or, stated in another 
way, one hundred and sixty acres of 
irrigated land will yield a compe- 
tency for eight families, enjoying 
the comforts of life, while one fam- 
ily depending on the rainfall can 
barely get an existence from the 
same area. 

Xot only are the larger streams 
being utilized, but very large sums 
of money have been expended where 
only the surplus water of the rainy 
season could be stored, and some of 
these are yielding large returns. 

These several classes of similar 
enterprises have varied as much in 
their methods of management as 
they have in their forms of organi- 
zation. They have not been regu- 
lated by estal)lished principles, but 
have representinl the opinions, judg- 
ment, skill and experience (or lack 
of it) of each individual originator, 
promoter or manager. 

Effect on the Value of Laxd. 
— Taking the field as a whole, the 
arid region of the United States — 
which covers two-fifths of its entire 
area — and the ground covered is 
but a mere trifle of the whole ; yet 
it is safe to say that, of all the land 
that can be made useful by the 



flowing watei' of the smallei- natu- 
ral streams, but little is now unoc- 
cupied. The length of main canals 
in each of the Pacific States and 
Colorado, and in the several territo- 
ries, amounts to thousands of miles 
in each, while the laterals and dis- 
tributing ditches are already meas- 
ured by tens, ^irobably by hundreds, 
of thousands of miles. 

It is also demonstrated, beyond 
possible question, that, wherever 
flowing water can be carried and 
distributed over considerable bodies 
of land, the expenditure will be jus- 
tified, even to the extent of §15 to 
$20 per acre. In fact, scores of en- 
terprises in California and Utah 
have proven that expensive reser- 
voirs may be built ; that meager sup- 
plies of water, accumulated during 
the rainy season, every drop saved 
by cementing the ditch bottoms or 
using iron and cement ))ipes. both 
for the accumulation and distribu- 
tion of the precious water ; that ex- 
pensive conduits, tuniu^ls, timber 
flumes and mammoth structuies of 
masonry, are justified from the finan- 
cial point of view. In these latter 
cases $100 an acre expended will 
return a high rate of interest ; 
while many undertakings, as I will 
show further on, have warranted an 
investment of twice that amount 
when measured as all such undertak- 
ings must be finally measured: by 
their earning capacity in the way of 
dividends or profits to the investor. 

The relative value of water and 
land is stated by one writer, speak- 
ing of the conditions in Southern 
California particularly, as three to 
one ; that is, if land without water 
is worth $75 an acre, it is easily worth 
$225 more to get a sufficient supply 
of water to irrigate it. This rule 
will not apply in all, nor in most 
cases. There are thousands of 
places where the land is absolutely 
worthless without water, or where 
the government price of it is only 
$1.25 an acre, which, put uuder 



29 — 



water, becomes wortli a hundred 
times that amount. Major Powell, 
of the United States Geological Sur- 
vey, estimates from his large expe- 
rience that any land when irrigated 
becomes worth from $30 to 1200 an 
acre, and places the average value 
of irrigated land throughout the 
United States at at least $50 per 
acre. This value is put upon it, not 
by its capacity to produce special 
crops, but for the ordinary farm 
products for which there is an un- 
limited market. Where fruits or 
high priced products are cultiva- 
ted, the higher range of prices is 
justified by the returns to the cul- 
tivator. 

The value attaches not only by 
reason of the high fertility of the 
soil, but because of the certainty 
which attends cultivation. When the 
season for planting arrives, there is 
no waiting for rains to put the 
ground in condition to plow. The 
farmer turns on the water to such 
land as he desires to cultivate, and 
gets it in just, the proper stage to 
work well and to germinate the seed 
promptly. He does not lose his 
seed by rotting from too much rain, 
or by drying up because of too lit- 
tle. He gives it water again at any 
stage of growth as may be required. 
When the crop is matured, he re- 
moves it from the ground, and it is 
ready to water again and plant with 
another crop. He can calculate for 
his business with less contingencies; 
in a word, he becomes independent 
of the natural elements. 

Under these circumstances, he 
neither needs nor wants rain during 
the cultivating season. Every show- 
er is a detriment, as it disarranges 
his plans. If the location is in the 
southern belt, where the seasons are 
long and the sunshine bright and 
warm, he gets the greater advan- 
tage; but south or north, there is no 
locality where irrigation will not be 
found beneficial, even though the 
natural water supply may be ample. 



There are always days or weeks dur- 
ing the growing season when a little 
water would add materially to the 
product. There is the further ad- 
vantage of fertilizing the soil, which 
never wears out if irrigated. The 
water which runs over the ground 
is an accumulator of fertilizing ele- 
ments, from the time it touches the 
surface until it deposits its precious 
burden where it is absorbed into the 
earth. Fields cultivated for genera- 
tions and centuries grow constantly 
more productive. 

, Another advantage most appar- 
ent in the cultivation of orchards 
and vineyards, is the destruction of 
depredating insects, and the con- 
sequent improvement of the quality 
of the fruit. There are no worm 
eaten apples from an irrigated or- 
chard ; there are no curculio to de- 
stroy the plums. 

Here, then, is the foundation 
upon which irrigation is built as an 
industry. It pays. How much it 
will pay, how much expenditure it 
will justify, will depend upon the 
local condition. The better the land, 
the better the crops and the larger 
the profits. A climate which per- 
mits two or three crops in the sea- 
son gives better results, and will 
consequently justify larger outlay. 
The facilities for marketing prod- 
ucts will be a controlling influence. 
Where oranges will grow, an acre of 
land is worth more than where it is 
only available to raise corn and po- 
tatoes. The crop from a bearing 
orchard of oranges will sell for 
above $500 an acre usually, often 
for more than $1,000, on the tree, 
the purchaser to gather them and 
find his own market. It may cost 
$200 an acre to get the orchard in 
bearing, but a single crop makes 
full return for the investment. The 
time required is so long that it de- 
ters many from planting such or- 
chards ; consequently it is not over- 
done, and is not likely to be. 

Considering all the points herein 



30 — 



suggested, it follows that wherever 
a Avater supply can be provided to 
reclaim lauds of average quality, 
taking the arid region as a whole, at 
a cost per irrigated acreof less tlian 
§10 per acre, itouly needs fair man- 
agement to be largely profitable. 
AVhere it is possible to reclaim large 
bodies of huid, with an investment 
of not more than $5 an acre, the in- 
vestment will prove exceptionally 
profitable, regardless of the locality, 
whether uortli or south. Every ad- 
vantage of climate, of adaptation to 
si)ecial products, of convenience for 
marketing, and of communication 
adds proportionately to the desira- 
bility of the investment. 

Sonic Fi|;iire!« Sliowiii;; Annual 
Ke!«nltM. 

Among the instances that have 
come to my personal knowledge as 
illustrating the character and pos- 
sibilities of such investment I cite 
the following : 

The North Platte Irrigation and 
Land Company, of Nebraska, has a 
capital of .ii?lGb,000 in $100 shares: 
has been in operation six years ; has 
bought 13,400 acres of land for $40,- 
000; expended $50,000 for irrigating 
plant ; has water to cover 25,000 
acres, with 8,000 in cultivation ; 
land is now worth 110 an acre ; the 
charge for water right is from $6.00 
to $7.50. The products from the 
locality are the ordinary farm crops, 
yet the irrigating plant has in- 
creased in value to more than 
double its cost. 

The Arizona Canal Company rep- 
resents another locality, and a 
different class of interests. It has a 
warm climate, with long seasons, and 
is adapted to semi-tropieal fruits as 
well as to fruits of the temperate 
zone. It was incorporated in 1882 
with a capital of $500,000 jind with 
but a small amount paid in by 
the stockholders. Construction was 
by contract. $500,000, of bonds being 
issued as part payment of the total 



cost of $600,000. It was completed 
a little more than two years ago, and 
had no railroad communication 
until a year ago. Water rights were 
first sold at $500 for 80 acres, and 
are now selling at $1,250. The in- 
terests have since been consolidated 
witJi smaller companies that had 
preceded it in the same valley — tiie 
Salt Kiver of Arizona. Ir covers 
90,000 acres of land : of this about 
20,000 acres is under cultivation, 
and a little more than that has been 
irrigated once. Land which before 
irrigating Avas worth nothing, iiow 
finds ready sale at $25 and ujnvard 
an acre. ' Of the bonds, $100,000 
has already been retired. Its in- 
come for the first year of o})eration 
was $112,098. The expenditure 
for current expenses was $18,573 : 
the annual interest charge is 
$32,000 ; the balance, of about 
$02,000, would equal more than 12 
per cent, upon the capital stock. 
The annual rents of water and 
waterpower will soon reach $175,- 
000 annually. The company ha& 
waterpower equal to 1,500 horse- 
power. 

The liear A'alley reservoir, of San 
Bernardino County, California, has- 
a capital of $360,000 in $100 shares. 
It was organized in 1883 ; has been 
in operation six years. The total 
cost of the plant has been about 
$150,000, of which 122,500 was paid 
for the land. Two water rigiits, 
each for one-seventh of a miner's 
inch, go with each share. The 
cost per share was above $41.50, 
The present selling price, after six 
years of operation, is above $225, 
with its accom})anying water rights.. 
The value of land before irrigation 
was $25 ; its present value is from 
$200 to $500. It has no bonded 
debt ; it has been the means of 
building up a thriving colony, and 
has given prosperity to all coming- 
withm its influence, as well as ta 
promoters and stockholders of the 
company, 



— 31 — 



The Ontario Land and Improve- 
ment Company, of Ontario, Califor- 
nia, has a capital of -tSOO^OOO in 
1100 shares. It was organized in 
September, 1887, and has been in 
operation nineteen months. A sup- 
ply of water was obtained from 
various sources, including a tunnel 
3,000 feet long, driven into a 
mountain, three feet six inches by 
five feet eight inches, all lined with 
cement. It Iims 75 rhiles of cement 
pipe in use. The total cost was 
$300, 000. It covers 12,000 acres, of 
which 3,500 are in cultivation. The 
value of land was |25 to ^8^50 before 
irrigation, and is now from $200 to 
$500. The outlay in this case rep- 
resents $60 to the share. There is 
no stock for sale, but its estimated 
value is $335 per share. The pros- 
perity which has attended the whole 
enterprise indicates superior man- 
agement as utilizing all the ad- 
vantages at hand. 

The great Sweetwater Reservoir, 
built to supply National City, in San 
Diego County, California, with 
water, at a cost of $275,000 for the 
dam a7id land for the reservoir, and 
$502,000 for the pipe line, illus- 
trates another feature of the irriga- 
ting industry, as to its indirect 
effects. Allotting a miner's inch a 
duty of ten acres, this would only 
irrigate 20,000 acres in addition to 
supplying National City with 700,- 
000,000 gallons. At the rate water 
rights, giving to the purchaser 
simply the privilege of becomi ng a 
customer for the water, have been 
soldby the San Diego Flume Com- 
pany ($200 per acre), the value of the 
irrigation supply amounts to $4,000,- 
000. At the date of the report, con- 
stru(-tion of the works had added 
$1,500,000 to the value of 5,000 
acres, which had then been supplied 
with a complete system of water 
pipes, and $1,000,000 to the value 
of the town property in National 
City and lands adjacent. 

The San Diego Flume Company 



was organized May 27th, 188G, with 
a capital stock of $1,000,000, of 
which only $100,000 was called. An 
issue of $600,000 of bonds was 
authorized. When the first state- 
ment was rendered, April 28, 1887, 
there had been 235 bonds sold at 
95 cents. The assets at that time 
were $887,819. The liabilities in- 
cluded bills payable, $42,000 ; over- 
draft at bank $1,000 ; and $6,000 of 
past due interest. The assets at that 
time were in excess of liabilities 
$600,000. At that date the sales of 
water rights were represented in 
bill receivable, $54,207 ; aud in 
water right contracts due when 
water should be furnished, $37,200. 

The next statement, made on the 
28th of December, 1887, or eight 
months later, shows that 265 bonds 
had been sold at 95 cents. The 
water rights sold under contract 
amounted to $344,000. The total 
amount expended for construction 
to that time was $329,000. Their 
real estate, at a low valuation, was 
2,000 acres, worth $240,000. They 
had in bank $161,673 cash ; bills 
receivable $115,380, and contracts 
for $567,000. They estimated the 
water rights unsold, at prices pre- 
viously realized, as 3,550 acres 
miner's inches at $1,200 per inch, 
worth $4,260,000, making the total 
assets $5,991,595. Their liabilities 
included the $100,000 bonds, of 
which 335 had not been sold, bills 
payable $62,000, and estimated for 
the completion of the line $485,000. 
The excess of assets over liabilities 
was $4,844,595.83. Thus, at the 
end of twenty months from the date 
of organization, the water rights al- 
ready sold had realized in cash, 
notes and contracts about $845,000, 
as against a total cost of construc- 
tion of $329,395. Only $100,000 had 
been realized from assessments and 
sales of stock. 

The probable gross income was 
stated at $60 per inch per annum ($6 
per acre) under tlie contracts for 



*\0 

O/V ^^ 

water already sold at §>300,000 ; aiut made a very fortunate investment, 
from the city supply under their fran- and they so a})preciate it. 
chise at '^100,000, or a total annual ^I'hese instances might be con- 
income of -^-100,000, against a total tinned indefinitely, all to the same 
expenditure of -S80(),000. effect. They serve to illustrate, 
A company recently organized in what I have before stated, that 
Chicago, the Pecos Irrigation and there is no class of investments in 
Investment Company, has secured which money can be used that are 
valuable franchises in the Eio Pecos so substantial in their foundations, 
\"alley, in Southern New Mexico, and that have such capacity for 
Since October 1st, upward of 125,- development, that yield so large and 
000 acres of land has been entered, so sure returns, whose values always 
from which the company will real- advance and never depreciate, and. 
ize $15 an acre for water rights. Ije- where the natural elements contrib- 
sides the anniial rentals. Tliese ute to the constant growth in value, 
lands must be " proved up," under These investments have not been 
the law, within three years from offered until recently to eastern 
date of entry. The total cost will capital. They have been popular 
be covered by $400,000 of capital at home, and although money in 
stock, sold at 50 cents on the dollar, that locality commands an excep- 
and '$200,000 of bonds. Both stock tionally high rate of interest, the 
and bonds have been sold and the stock in an irrigation company 
contracts are let for the completion yields better returns than from any 
of 95 miles of main canals this year, other use in which it may be 
It requires but a little calculation employed, 
to see that its stockholders have Charles AV. Greene. 



(i I I. A V A L L E Y. 



The soil throughout the valley is lime from the magnesium-lime for- 
a rich brownish yellow, sandy loam, mations, and the potash from the 
generous, mellow and porous, with a decomposing granite rocks were 
depth ranging from six to twenty carried with unceasing regularity, 
feet, the whole resting upon under- year by year, until deposited in the 
lying stratas of gravel and sand that bottom. Eventually upon the dis- 
readily carry from the surface such appearance of the lake, the rich, 
excess of water as might otherwise fertile alluvium, than which there 
prove injurious to seeds and grow- is none better, was left to reward 
ing plants. the efforts of the modern husband- 

There is unmistakable geologic man. Hut Nature, not yet satisfied 
evidence that the entire lower Gila with her handiwork, directed the , 
valley was, during some prehistoric accumulation of the detritus washed 
period, covered with water, consti- from the distant mountainous re- 
tuting, in fact, an enormous lake, gion. Asaresult, the soilis extreme- 
the surface rising in places to the ly rich in the elements best adapted 
upper portion of the outskirting to thorough fertilization ; for it con- 
mesas. The soil lying at the bot- tains a certain amount of organic 
tom was made by the washing and matter which, on decomposing, 
erosion of the surrounding moun- further enhances its agricultural 
tains. The soda from the decom- value. By constant overflow and 
posed vegetation, the magnesia and change of channel, the deposits are 



evenly distributed over considerable 
areas, the process continuing 
through centuries. These soils are 
further enriched by decomposed in- 
organic contributions, including the 
sandstones, marls, limestones, shales, 
etc. Besides the ingredients men- 
tioned, a chemical analysis shows 
that iron, ammonia and phosphoric 
acid enter into its composition in 
the proportions best adapted to add 
to its lecundic qualities. The ex- 
tremes of temperature are somewhat 
greater than on the highlands ; but 
there is also more moisture. 

The bottom lands are so easy of 
cultivation that it is not uncommon, 
after clearing the surface from 
brush and stubble, to jiass over the 
ground with an ordinary cultivator 
a single time, afterwards sowing to 
grain or grass. In three or four 
months, large crops are harvested, 
the soil meanwhile being entirely 
innocent of the plow. All plants 
seem to grow rapidly, maturing 
remarkably early. Indications of 
ancient ditchesareapparent through- 
out the valley, showing plainly the 
existence of irrigation works by the 
ancient Aztecs. Curiously enough, 
in certain instances, the identical 
routes of these long extinct people 
have been followed for considerable 
distances by their modern succes- 
sors. 

The wonderful fertility of the 
bottoms and other valley lands, as 
well as the mesas and plains, is es- 
tablished beyond denial by actual 
experimentation. INeither is the soil 
likely to degenerate in the future ; 
for in answer to the question, ''Will 
it last?" 0. L. Wheeler, D. D., 
LL. D., a recognized expert in such 
matters upon the Pacific Coast, says : 

" To this query the answer in 
general is, the longer land is prop- 
perly cultivated and properly 
fertilized, the stronger and more 
productive it becomes. While the 
mountains surrpunding the val- 
ley continue to disintegrate under 



the operation of the elements, and 
while the detritus thus eliminated 
continues under the laws of gravita- 
tion to descend and work its way 
over the plains, so long will there 
be perennial additions to the amount 
of producing element in a state of 
refinement and assimilation. And 
so long as the water flowing from 
these mountains, holding in solu- 
tion the debris, which always, in 
some degree, is spread upon the 
land in irrigation, so long will the 
fertilizing properties of the soil con- 
tinue to receive additions, and its 
fecundic power continue to be in- 
creased. And so long as the water 
containing more or less of salts and 
ammoniac compounds, as all water 
does, is used for irrigating purposes, 
and so long as the process of culti- 
vation continues to throw up the 
soil, exposing it to the indispensable 
and ever fructifying influence of the 
atmosphere, so long will the soil con- 
tinue to be refreshed and invigor- 
ated and prepared to give large re- 
wards to the labor of the husband- 
man." 

Climate. 

It is rather without the intents of 
this report to dwell in detail upon 
the sanitary advantages offered by 
our almost perfect climate; and yet, 
a few words upon this subject may 
not be inappropriate. 

For nine out of every twelve 
months, the climate is simply superb. 
Three months are warm, but not ex- 
cessively so, although the ther- 
mometer ranges far higher than 
would be conducive to health or 
comfort in any section of the East. 
The conditions, however, are most 
dissimilar, as maybe seen by the fol- 
lowing, taken from the official com- 
munication of Lieutenant W. A. 
Glassford, of the United States 
Signal Corps, to the Governor of the 
Territory : 

'' A few words upon the heat. It 
is recorded as extreme, yet no one 
suffers, and sunstrokes are unknown. 



— 34 — 



Tliis is usually accounted for from the 
purity and dryness of the air. Both 
are true ; but the dryness is, per- 
haps, the correct reason. I have cal- 
culated the difference between the 
shade and sensible temperature at 
Yuma during the heated hour of the 
da}', and it is about thirty degrees. At 
New York or Washington it is only 
a few degrees, and often identical. 
The highest shade temperature ever 
recorded at Yuma is 118 degrees. 
When the heat is at this point, the 
sensible temperature is about 88 de- 
grees. The shade temperature of 
Xew York being 105 degrees, the 
sensible temporature is certainly near 
100 degrees. The difference between 
tlie mean temperature and the mean 
sensible temperature for July is over 
IT degrees at Yuma. 

" These considerations of the sen- 
sible and shade temperature will ac- 
count for the absence of any detri- 
mental effect upon the extreme heat 
of Arizona. 

" The air is dry. The moisture in 
the atmosphere is from twenty-five 
to thirty per cent., as against seven- 
ty-five to eighty-five per cent, in 
other localities. Every afternoon in 
summer there is a refreshing breeze 
from the (iulf of California that re- 
lieves the day of undesirable heat. 
It ]>asses over a desert, much of 
which is l)elow sea level, that acts as 
a desiccant ; so that when the plains 
of Central Arizona are reached, the 
air is dry to the last possible degree. 

" There are neither sunstrokes in 
summer nor pneumonia in winter ; 
neither fever nor malaria live or gen- 
erate in this section. The air is pure 
— absolutely free from those com- 
pounds that poison the system and 
bring on disease. In no country 
is there a greater number of bright 
nights and sunny days. Hundreds 
afflicted with lung trouble, after 
visiting Florida and Southern Cali- 
fornia, have found relief in this in- 
vigorating climate, where the pure 
air is a tonic to shattered constitu- 



tions, a healing balsam to the con- 
sumptive." 

The meteorological conditions are 
indeed admirable for the cure of all 
rheumatic, bronchial and pulmonary 
troubles, as has been proven time 
and time again. In summer, the 
rapid evaporation lowers the tem- 
perature and promotes comfort ; 
while in winter the mild, e(|uable 
and pleasant weather is deliglitful 
to the invalid. 

Herewith is given a table of average 
temi)erature, compiled from official 
reports, extending over ten years: 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


April. 


Maj'. 


June. 


53.6 


58.8 


65.0 


69.4 


77.2 


85.3 




July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. Nov. 


Dec. 


92.0 


90.0 


83.9 


72.4 61.2 


55.9 



The statements of the Commis- 
sioner can be thoroughly substan- 
tiated, as may be seen by the an- 
nexed table shoAving the time of 
maturity for certain products : 

Strawberries Jaiuuu y 15th. 

Apricots ...April l.st to21st. 

Mulberries April 14th to 20th. 

Figs April 10th. 

Grapes June 1st to 7th. 

Watei-nielons, etc May 20th. 

Peaches June loth. 

Pomegranates August 1 st. 

Limes September 5tli to 10th. 

Lemons September 15th to 25th. 

Dates September 1st. 

Oranges. . _ Nov. 25th to Dec. 1st.. 

The sugar beet promises better 
results for the future than many of 
the products already mentioned as 
prominent in the same direction. 
Samples not fully matured polarized 
seventeen per cent. With proper 
cultivation, the percentage can be 
raised to from twenty to twenty-five, 
and, besides, Avill harvest two crops 
each vear. 



35 



Wheat does splendidly. In one in- 
stance, 483 pounds, seeded to twenty 
acres, about nine miles east of Yuma, 
on the Gila Kiver, returned 52,750 
l^ounds, after having been irrigated 
five times. This was sold in San 
Francisco, bringing fifty cents per 
cental over every other kind then in 
the market. The grain is remark- 
able for its plump, berry-like appear- 
ance. The winter and spring are 
warm enough to insure a vigorous 
growth, and cool enough in April 
and May to allow the heads to fill 
out without shriveling. It is so 
perfect as to sell for seed, and, so 
far as known, is proof against rust. 
Two crops are raised annually. 

Bai-ley also does well, and will 
produce two crops — the first yield- 
ing from thirty-five to forty bushels 
of barley, and the second a large 
amount of hay. 

Corn is produced in great quan- 
tity, yields enormously, and can be 
grown the year round. The " Co- 
copah " corn is noted for sweetness, 
plumpness, earliness, and for its 
firm and solid grains. Five weeks 
after planting, roasting ears are 
plentiful. This variety commands 
a ready sale at higher prices than 
any other kind. 

Alfalfa will cut from five to seven 
times at an average of two and one- 
half tons to the acre. Eight acres, 
but one year old, have this year 
yielded seventy-four tons, with 
more cuttings yet to be made. The 
hay brings fifteen dollars per ton. 

Sorghum, raised for feed, is both 
valuable and prolific. It frequently 
reaches fifteen feet in height, yields 
from fifteen to twenty tons per acre, 
and is worth fifteen dollars per ton. 
Several crops can be harvested an- 
nually. 

Vegetables, kitchen and garden 
stuff, melons, etc., grow all the year 
round in unlimited quantity and ex- 
cellent quality. Some time since, a 
Gila Valley farmer planted fifteen 
pounds of Irish potatoes on a piece 



of bottom land that had been over- 
flowed, from which lie harvested 
over seven hundred pounds ; and 
this record, it is believed, has rarely, 
if ever, been excelled. The sweet 
potato produces enormously, and 
equals the choicest brought from 
South Carolina. 

Peanuts mature rapidly and abun- 
dantly, yielding a nut both plump 
and toothsome. 

Wherever there is sufiicient 
moisture, the natural flora abound 
in profusion and variety. They are 
of rare beauty and delicious fra- 
grance, the bulbous plants particu- 
larly. The lily surpasses the 
famous imported 'Mapan." It has 
been claimed by experts that at no 
distant period opium will be manu- 
factured from the poppy, and attar 
from therose, both flowers thriving 
vigorously. There are but few trees 
and shrubs capable of adornng the 
surroundings of a lovely modern 
home that cannot be satisfactorily 
grown. 

Every plant, vine or tree men- 
tioned in the foregoing list has been 
actually proven adaptable to our 
soils and climate. Many others 
have been omitted through lack of 
space ; but there seems no doubt 
that time will demonstrate our 
ability to profitably raise all the 
semi-troj^ic and most of the tropical 
and temperate productions. 

Southern Arizona offers to the 
immigrant a home where a perfect 
climate insures health and comfort ; 
where land is abundant and cheap ; 
where the soil is rich, lasting and 
wonderfully prolific ; where bounte- 
ous nature renders the greatest re- 
turn for labor ; where varied re- 
sources are being rapidly developed ; 
where excellent educational facilities 
are ever at hand ; where railioads 
will bring to his door the luxuries of 
life, and transport to market the 
produce of his farm ; where neither 
cyclone, blizzard nor winter blast is 
known, but the balmy, pure, dry 



— 36 — 

and life giving air restores and pre- gence and refinement abide, and a 

serves health, imparting vigor to rich territory is developing into a 

brain and mnscle ; where chnrches, great and prosperous State, 
schools, newspapers, society, intelli- 



Y U M A C O U x\ T Y. 



ItM Cii><>^ra|>lii<>al Position aiid A«lvaiila$fe!«. 

By Hon. Camkkox H. King. 

In regard to climate, healthful- river, tliroii^li il<i iiia;;iiili<Tiit 

ness, fertility and productiveness of eaiions in llio iiorllMoilio inoiilii 

soil, facilities for cultivation, irriga- ol'Viry:iii Uivt-r. in llie Siatr of 

tion and abundance of water supply, l\'cva«ia, a <ii<<taii<*o of 1 10 miles 

variety of resources and cheap trans- above llie t4»\vii <»f Yiiiiia. 

portation by rail and by water, no r^^i^^, ..^^^^ ,^,^,1 ^^^^ inspiring 

part of Arizona can surpass luma gcenery of the Williams Fork, Mo- 

Couuty which IS destined to become i^j^^e^ 15,,IPs jjead. Painted and 

one ot the richest and most prosper- Bj^ck Canons, where in places the 

ous counties m Arizona. precipitous banks rise thousands of 

It lies between 32° 00 and 34° 20 f^^^ ^^^^^^ ^he bed of the river, 

north latitude and 113 20 and 1U° ^q.^i^j .^gH ^^^^ tourist for his 

40 west longitude. It contains voyage. The powerful stern wheel 

6,48cS, 320 acres. It is about as large steamboats. "Cila," 17G feet in 

as the States of Rhode Island, Con- i^^^a^th by 30 feet in width, com- 

necticut and Delaware combined, sanded by Captain J. A. Mellon, 

or as large as either New Hampshire, .^nd the ''Mohave," 187 feet in 

\ ermont or Massachusetts. i^^ ^h by 36 feet in width, com- 

Ihe western boundary of luma sanded by Captain Isaac Polhemus, 
County is formed by the Colorado furnish every accommodation to pas- 
layer, which separates Arizona from sengers, and are so admirablv man- 
Calitornia. Ihe county is bounded | ^g to render such an excursion 
on the north by Uilliams tork and ^^^ ^f continuous pleasure for the 
the Santa Maria Kiver, whose waters ^j^^ig distance traveled, 
flow into the Colorado ; on the east Yrom the Virgin River, the more 
by the counties of Pima, Maricopa adventurous tourist can make his 
and lavapai, and on the south by ,^av to the (h-and Canon of the Col- 
Sonora, Mexico. Its county seat is o^.a^o, the most stupendous chasm 
the town of ^ uma. o,i the globe. It is a tremendous 

Tlie Col<»ra4lo River is iiavi^fsi- gorge, about 400 miles in length and 

ble for a unreal er diMaiiee, willi- from 1,000 to 7,000 feet in-depth, 

oiil |»orla;;e!«, liian any oilier and is without a parallel in the 

ri\er on liie Aiiierl<'aii 4*onliiieiit world. 

whieh flows into I lie I'aeilie The Colorado River drains the 

Oeean. I.arue river Kteainboals, entire territory of Arizona, and every 

l4»\viii;f i>ar;urt'K laden with drop of water which falls on its 

freiu^lil, Kleaiii lip Hie river from mountains and plains finds its way 

Ilie<iiiiilf4»f<'alif<»riiia, norllierly, to this mighty river. It is formed 

a <li<»taii<'e of <»05 milen. One eaii by the union of the Green and Grand 

«ear<'ely iiiia;;iiie a iii(»re <lelitflil- rivers, fed by the streams whicli rise 

fill I rip tliaii llial up tliis ;^raii(l in the Rocky ^Mountains, and the 



37 



melting snows cause a greater depth 
of water in this river in summer 
than in winter, thus furnishing the 
most water at the season when it is 
most required for the purposes of 
irrigation and agriculture. 

It will be seen that for the entire 
distance along its western bouiidary, 
Yuma County possesses the great 
advantage of cheap water transpor- 
tation. 

The Clila River rises in the west- 
ern part of New Mexico and is fed 
by numerous streams, among the 
most prominent of which are the 
San Pedro, Agua Fria, Hassayampa 
and Salt rivers. It flows west through 
Yuma County and empties into the 
Colorado at the town of Yuma, 

Yuma County, traversed by these 
great rivers from its northern to its 
southern, and from its eastern to its 
western boundaries, possesses a far 
greater water supply than any other 
county in the Territory, and far 
more than can be found in all Cali- 
fornia. 

This water is now being diverted 
from its natural channels by means 



of numei'ous large irrigating canals, 
and utilized for the purpose of re- 
claiming and irrigating the immense 
tracts of lands which lie in this fa- 
vored county, and which are as fer- 
tile as any in the world. 

The Southern Pacific Railroad 
crosses the Colorado River at the 
town of Yuma, and runs through 
the county, following the general 
course and at an average distance 
of about four miles soiith of the 
Gila River, rendering all the lands 
susceptible of irrigation and culti- 
vation along the river accessible to 
railroad facilities. '^Ihe products of 
the vast tracts of land along this 
river, which are now being prepared 
for cultivation, can find an easy out- 
let in this way, and can be trans- 
ported to all the markets and centres 
of population in the East or West. 

Another competing railroad is 
projected from San Diego, Cal., 
to the town of Yuma, and thence 
along the north side of the Gila 
river. Thus Yuma County will have 
exceptional railroad advantages. 



CMHIATE OF YlJIflA. 



The climate of Yuma for nine 
months of the year has no equal, as 
we believe, in the world, and during 
the remaining three months of the 
year, comprising June, July and 
August, the heat is not oppressive. 
Even though the thermometer in 
mid summer may at times rise 
above 100°, and occasionally even 
reach 110°, yet, owing to the ab- 
sence of moisture in the air, it is 
not oppressive. The atmosphere is 
pure, light and balmy. When the 
mercury marks the highest extreme 
of heat, a person does not feel that 
oppression or debility which is felt 
in the Eastern States when the mer- 
cury is ranging from 80° to 90°. 
The air is so dry that perspiration 



is absorbed as soon as it reaches the 
surface of the body, and at no time 
in the summer does the heat pro- 
duce any discomfort. 

Below is adduced testimony of 
distinguished physicians on the cli- 
mate and sanitary conditions of 
Yuma County, which are well worthy 
of perusal, and must convince those 
Avho seek relief from pulmonary or 
bronchial diseases that Yuma will 
eventually become the sanitarium of 
the continent. Herethere are neither 
the fogs, mists nor cold winds which 
are so prevalent in California, and 
render its climate objectionable to 
those disposed to lung or throat 
troubles. 

The average temperature during 



— 38 — 



the summer months at the town of 
Yuma is 89^. 

])r. J. n. 'i'aggart, for a number 
of years a resident of Yuma, a physi- 
cian of great ability and learning, 
and a graduate of IJush Medical Col- 
lege, of Chicago, in the class of 18G2, 
has been the county physician of 
Yuma County for more than ten 
years, lie writes as follows : 

CLIMATK AND METEOROLOGY. 

Cameron H. King, Commissioner of 

Immigration : 

Dear Sir : If a comparison of the 
climatic conditions of the Pacific 
slope with tliose of the Atlantic, or 
of the great central basin drained by 
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, 
be instituted, we are struck by cer- 
tain radical differences in favor of 
the Western locality, so important 
in their influence on health, comfort 
and welfare that we may well doubt 
whether, in case our forefathers had 
approached the newly found conti- 
nent fi'om the west instead of the 
east, the Atlantic States would now 
be as well filled by immigration as 
the Pacific States in fact are, or, in- 
deed, whether they would be within 
half a century of that development. 

Among the unfavorable climatic 
conditions that prevail in the East 
are the great range of temperature 
between summer and Avinter, and 
more trying and health-destroying 
by far. the sudden and extreme 
changes — not once or twice a year, 
but many times in a single season. 
I experienced one of these changes 
near Chicago in the winter of 1870- 
71, where the mercury fell 60° in 
twelve hours, and this change, ter- 
rible as it was, was but little greater 
or more sudden than scores that 
occur every year. Another draw- 
l)ack to the eastern climate is found 
in the high degree of humidity of 
the atmosphere, which makes a mod- 
erate degree of cold so piercing, and 
a moderate degree of heat seem so 
sultry and suffocating. 



'Yo realize howolnioxious to human 
health such conditions are, we have 
only to inquire into the prevalence 
of consumption and rheumatism in 
a number of localities where these 
conditions are more prevalent, with 
a number of localities where they 
are less })i'evalent or absent, and we 
shall find, other conditions being 
similar, that in proportion as the 
objectionable climatic conditions are 
present or absent, so are present or 
absent those dread diseases. But no 
argument is necessary to establish 
this position, as it is generally recog- 
nized East as well as AVest, and the 
"glorious climate of California " is 
acknowledged to be no myth. That 
there are varying degrees of excel- 
lence in the climate of the various 
localities of the Pacific Slope is not 
to be denied, but we aftii'm, and can 
easily show, that our most unfavor- 
able climate is better suited to pro- 
mote the health of the inhabitants 
living within its influence than the 
best to be found east of the Rocky 
Mountains. We have here neither 
" blizzards" nor "polar waves" in 
winter, nor tornadoes dealing sud- 
den death and destruction at any 
season of the year ; yet these are 
so common there as to hai'dly cause 
remark. 

Sunstroke, too, and hydrophobia 
are very rare here, and in some 
places, as southern Arizona, un- 
known. The great dryness of the 
atmosphere so powerfully invites 
perspiration, and removes it from the 
surface of the body so rapidly, that 
all excess of animal heat is at once 
withdrawn, the temperature of the 
body kept at its luitural degree, and 
exemption from sunstroke insured, 
even when the mercury rises to its 
extreme height of 115°, the highest 
temperature ever recorded by the 
signal service in Yuma. This heat 
is far less oppressive than in the East, 
because the dryness of the air causes 
it to take up the abundant perspira- 
tion with aviditv, leaving us sensible 



39 



of a dry heat onl\', and not of the 
distressing oppression of sultriness 
that our Eastern cousins feel wlien 
the mercury gets to the eighties. 
The heat and dryness again are fatal 
to zymotic poisons, bacteria, etc.; 
hence the entire absence of hydro- 
phobia and malarial diseases, and 
the mild grade of smallpox, diph- 
theria, scarlatina or whatever other 
contagious disease may be imported 
in our winter season. They could 
not obtain a lodgment in the sum- 
mer, and when they make their ap- 
pearance in the winter they are 
easily controlled and stamped out. 

Again, Yuma is less than one 
hundred and fifty feet above the 
sea level, a point of great practical 
importance to consumptives and 
others with disabled lungs. A sine 
qua 1)0)1 with many — yes, with most 
of these — is a pure air, which is the 
reason so many seek mountains or 
elevated regions, so as to get above 
the vapors, deleterious gases and 
paludal emanations so common at 
the lower altitudes. Could these be 
avoided, then, for this class, the 
lower the altitude, the better. The 
reason is plain : an absolute amount 
of oxygen is necessary every min- 
ute to purify the blood, and this 
amount of oxygen is contained in a 
lesser bulk of air at the sea-level 
than at any elevation above it, since 
the greater the altitude the less its 
density. Hence we see why so many 
experience such difficulty in ascend- 
ing to moderate elevations even, 
and understand that one whose 
lungs are partially disabled can 
perhaps, take in at every inspiration 
in a dense atmosphere a sufficient 
bulk of air to afford the necessary 
amount of oxygen, while in the 
rarefied air of a mountain it would 
be im]iossible to inhale a bulk of 
air sufficient for the purpose. The 
deservedly popular "oxygen treat- 
ment," that has benefited so many 
consumptives, is based on the same 
principle, viz., of increasing the 



amount of oxygen in the air 
breathed by the patient, so that he 
may take enough to cleanse the 
blood witliout being embarrassed 
by the too great bulk of air. This 
treatment, though, is necessarily 
intermittent ; how much better if a 
locality could be found where the 
necessary amount of oxygen is 
contained in the bulk of air usually 
inspired by the patient. 

Such a place is A^uma County, 
Ariz., where the atmosphere is almost 
at its maximum density, and where 
the entire absence of swamps and 
marshes, and the very small annual 
rainfall, taken in connection with 
the heat of the summer, insure its 
extreme purity. Here, then, are to 
be found a congregation of con- 
ditions more favorable to the invalid 
than can be found in any other 
locality East or West, and this 
without detracting in the least from 
the deservedly reputation earned 
by some of the best health resorts. 

In support of my statements in 
regard to the absence of sudden or 
extreme changes of temperature, 
dryness of the atmosphere, etc., I 
shall give a few figures, kindly fur- 
nished me by A. F. Whitfield, the 
efficient meteorologist of the Sig- 
nal Service at this station, and in- 
vite a careful attention to them for 
the lessons they teach. 

Maximum temperature for past 
five years, 115.5°, June 23, 1887, 

Minimum temperature for past 
five years, 22.5'', January 20, 1883. 

Average monthly temperatures, 
from ten years' observations, Jan. 
53.6°, Feb. 58.8°, March 65°, April 
69.4°, Mav 77.2°, June 85.2°, July 
92°, Aug.' 90.9°, Sept. 83.9°, Oct. 
71.2°, Nov. 61.2°, Dec. 55.9°. 

Rainfall for 1883, 2.35 inches 

" 1884, 5.86 " 

" 1885, 2.72 " 

" '' 1886, 5.35 " 

" " 1887, 3.90 " 

It is universally admitted that in 



— 40 — 



places where the humidity oi' tiie 
;itinosi)iiere is greatest, the lieat is 
most oppressive. Tlie foregoing 
statistics make it plain wliy, when 
our maximum is greater than in 
the East, we suffer less than they 
do, viz., the dryness of our atmos- 
phere and the absence of sudden 
changes. That the virtues of our 
climate are becoming appreciated 
by those suffering from ])ulmonary 
and rheumatic complaints is at- 



tested by the great and constantly 
increasing numbers of tliem who 
come seeking health. To those 
who are not already past hoi)e, I 
would say, Come, and you will re- 
ceive benefit ; if a cure be possible, 
and t6 many it has been, you will 
obtain it here quicker and more 
certainly than in any other health 
resort. 

J. II. Ta(;uaut. :^I. D. 



YUWA, ARIZONA, AS A U1\TER HEAI/ni KI]$»ORT FOR 

COXSlJlflP Tl VES. 

By P. G. CoTTEK, M. J)., Government Physician to the Indian Training 
School, Fort Yuma, Cal., and formerly Senior Resident Physician 
and Surgeon to St. Peter's Hospital, Albany, N. Y. 

Cameron H. King, Commissioner of substantial facts in regard to the 
Immigration: climate of Yuma during the 

Dear Sir : The rigors of the months of November, December, 
winter season in the northern and January, February and March, I 
eastern parts of the United States may serve some one who may be in 
are generally so sevcn-e that per- search of such information. Jf I 
sons suffering from lung diseases, shall succeed in furnishing relial)le 
who can afford to do so are obliged data from w^hich but one invalid 
to seek a milder climate in which will be truthfully informed of the 
to spend that inclement portion of comparative climatic advantages of 
the year, extending from about the a few well known winter health 
first of November to the first of resorts, thereby preventing him 
April. They hope by doing so to from being misled by the advertise- 
avoid, not only the strain upon their ments of rival cities, and saved the 
decreasing strength and vitality expenses and hardships attendant 
resulting from the frequently sud- upon a sick pei'son's journey away 
den changes to extremes of the from home in search of a more 
weather there, hut also the danger salubrious climate tluin his own 
of such changes accelerating the home can yield him, then I will 
disease processes of which they com- feel well rewarded for my effort in 
plain. his behalf. 

The knowledge of this state of Dr. Adolf Striimpell, formerly 
affairs has led the peo])le of some Professor and Director of the 
localities to advertise largely the Medical Polyclinic at the University 
climates of their respective places, of Leipsic, Germany, says in the 



and, to their discredit it must be 

said, often at the expense of truth. 

It is not my intent, in the limited 

time and sjiace now at my com- 



latest edition of his " Textbook of 
Medicine: '' "The choiceof a winter 
health resort is of great impor- 
tance, since the colder season brings 



niand, to give a general disserta- with it many dangers for the pa- 
tion on the climate of Yuma County, tient. We cannot omit, however, 
but I think that, by furnishinga few calling special attention to the fact 



41 



that we should always ask our- 
selves, in choosing a health resort, 
whether the expense and incon- 
venience thus imposed upon a pa- 
tient can be balanced by the prob- 
able result. It is also blameworthy 
from a professional and humane 
standpoint, to send patients in the 
last stages of consumption among 
strangers, to die far from their 
homes and relatives." 

This is not the class of patients to 
send away from home to be cured 
by a change of climate, yet the fol- 
lowing is a fair sample of what I 
have often heard from the lips of 
such patients, who have left com- 
fortable homes in the North and 
East, and have been sent through 
this place to be cured by the cli- 
mate. " Doctor, when I left home 
my physician said that my lungs 
were all right again, and all that I 
needed was a change of climate to 
be entirely well. Since I left home, 
about two weeks ago, I have been 
doing real well till last night, when 
I had another night sweat," or se- 
vere cough, as the case may be, 
''and I am just as bad to-day as 
ever." I have found frequently, 
upon a careful physical examina- 
tion of such patients, that a good 
portion of one and sometimes of 
both lungs Avas in a state of tuber- 
cular infiltration, and even in some 
cases breaking down into cavities. 

I have seen a young wife weep- 
ing over the lifeless, though not yet 
cold body of her invalid husband 
who had just expired as the train 
brought them into Yuma. He had 
been sent away from home to be 
cured by the climate of Southern 
California. Could medicine, climate 
or anything under heaven have 
cured such a case, had he barely 
survived the journey? I will leave 
the reader to draw his own conclu- 
sions. 

There is another class of con- 
sumptives or, more correctl}^, per- 
sons having a hereditary tendency 



to consumption, whose condition 
may be ameliorated by a judicious 
selection of a climate which would 
give the advantages necessary for 
improvement in this particular form 
of the disease, e. y.: chronic fibroid 
phthisis may be beneficially treated 
by high altitudes having a dry, 
pure atmosphere ; catarrhal phthisis 
by a dry, warm, even climate, and 
so on, each form having conditions 
of climate which are more bene- 
ficial to its victims than to others. 

The medical ])i-ofession may be 
divided in respect to the theories 
regarding the etiology (causation) 
of consumption ; one class may 
claim that it is the presence of a 
distinct, specific form of bacteria 
(the tubercle bacillus), discovered, 
isolated and studied first by Dr. 
R. Koch, in the year 1881 ; another 
may believe it to he B.n inflammatory 
process, which may or may not be 
secondarily complicated by tuber- 
cle; and a third may charge heredity 
and poor nourishment with the 
blame ; but they all stand united 
in this one thing, viz. : that pure 
air, a dry, warm, mild and even 
climate, afford the patient the very 
best chance of recovery, of husband- 
ing his strength and holding in 
check the dire ravages of the dis- 
ease. 

Why a dry climate? Germs can 
be propagated, in a culture fluid of 
proper moisture and warmth, out- 
side of the human body. This has 
been nicely proved by Dr. Sternberg, 
of Washington, D. C., by use of his 
culture tubes. Then, if Ave accept 
the most popular theory of the day, 
we can readily see that a moist at- 
mosphere favors the germ develop- 
ing process and thereby aids the 
disease to defeat nature in her 
struggle of life and death. Also, 
there are the physical inconven- 
iences of w. damp atmosphere, laden 
with fog a great portion of the day, 
which try even the most healthy, 
much more so the invalid. The 



— 42 — 



healthy, vigorous business num may 
be too busy to give it mucli thouglit, 
but not so is the case of the poor 
invalid far away from liome and 
sensitive to every exhausting in- 
fluence which lessens his or her 
fund of strength and vitality. 

AVhy a warm climate ? When a 
person is sufferiiig, for example, in 
the second or third stage of acute 
pulmonary phthisis (quick con- 
sum})tion), and only a portion of 
each lung, and sometimes of but 
one lung, can do good lung work, 
the poor sufferer lies gasping for 
breath in a close room which j)rob- 
ably has double windows, and con- 
tains a fire, a light and several 
other persons besides the patient, 
with a necessarily vitiated condition 
of the atmosphere of that room. 
To open the door or window would 
cause a cold draft and exposure ; to 
leave them shut means asphyxia 
(suffocation) to the patient, from 
the double embarrassment of im- 
perfect lung work in an impure 
atmos|)here. llow invaluable, then, 
would be a warm climate, where 
you could swing open the doors 
and windows and let the pure at- 
mosphere revive the suffering pa- 
tient gasping for a breath of fresh 
air I 

The advantages of a mild, even 
climate are so patent as to need 
but a passing mention. ^Vny person 
who has experienced the fitful ness 
of the weather of the New England 
and Middle Atlantic States, and 
then compares that experience with 
the mild, even Winter climate of 
Yuma County, will, I can assure 
them from my own experience, be 
more than delighted. 

In looking over my college notes 
of years ago on the climatic treat- 
ment of consumption, taken from 
the lectures of my preceptor. Dr. 
Samuel 1^. Ward, J*rofessor of Pa- 
thology, Practice, Clinical Medicine 
and Ilygiene, in the Medical De- 
partment of Union rniversity, Al- 



bany, X. Y., and President of th" 
Medical Society of the State of Xew 
York, I find the following : 

" In climatic treatment of phthisis, 
the prime object is to secure for the 
patient jo^^re air, with such climatic 
conditions that he can pass the 
largest amount of time out of doors. 
The amount of exercise must be 
judiciously limited according to the 
patient's strength. A good rule is : 
That amount of exercise tlie fa- 
tigue from which can be completely 
overcome by one night's rest is, I 
have found, the prudent limit." 

There is another condition which 
has a decided influence upon the 
salubrity of a place, namely, the 
character of its soil. Dr. Alfred L. 
Loomis, Professor of Practical Med- 
icine in the Medical Department 
of the University of the City of 
Xew York, says : " The atmosphere 
of a region with loose, porous, 
sandy soil through which the water 
filters, and whose surface dries 
quickly, is never damp; hard, com- 
pact, rocky or clayey regions that 
drain but slowly and imperfectly, 
hold the moisture, and cause a damp- 
ness which is a strong i)redisposing 
cause of phthisis." 

Dr. LaC'unec, the great French 
diagnostitian, and the father of 
auscultation and jtercussion, says 
that the dampness arising from 
such conditions of soil as above 
mentioned is one of the most cer- 
tain developing causes of phthisis ; 
and he makes mention of a locality 
having such a soil, in which the 
dampness was so constant and of 
such a character that two-thirds of 
the resident poi)ulation died of 
phthisis. 

As to elevation. Dr. Loomis says: 
''In my experience, catarrhal ])hthi- 
sis is not benefited by regions of 
very high altitudes. Jt is during 
or before the stage of consolida- 
tion that persons with this variety 
of phthisis are to be benefited by 
climatic influences ; and a careful 



— 43 — 



analysis of each case is important 
before directions can be given as 
to the region most likely to suit the 
special requirements of each case. 
The patient must not wander around 
till he hits upon the place which 
suits him ; much valuable time is 
thus lost." 

In regard to atmospheric pressure 
tlie same author says : "A slight 
diminution in atmospheric pressure 
produces no palpable changes. But 
a great diminution (say one-quar- 
ter) produces serious disturbances 
of nutrition, developing a condition 
which favors rather than retards 
phthisical developments." 

As to the climate and soil of Yuma 
County, I have this to say: that 
though she has borne the reputa- 
tion of having one of the hottest of 
climates, she is gradually and de- 
servedly losing that reputation. 
Other places that would fain be 
reckoned among the choice spots of 
creation, suffer more from oppres- 
sive heat than does Yuma. 

It is, nevertheless, true that the 
mercury often ranges high during 
the hot season, but, owing to the 
almost entire absence of humidity 
in the atmosphere, the effects of 
the heat on the individual is far less 
depressing than in many other lo- 
calities where the mercury does not 
rise so high. The fact that sun- 
stroke is unknown in Yuma is a 
competent proof. For the consump- 
tive it has the following advantages, 
namely : A pure atmosphere, a light 
sandy soil, a dry, warm, mild and 
even climate. 

Dr. A. M. Loryea, of the Hammam 
Baths, San Francisco, Cal., says : 

" Having traveled all over the 
world to investigate the effect of 
heat upon the human body in health 
and disease, my experiences and 
experiments in Yuma, Arizona, re- 
sulted more favorably than at any 
other place, and I can safely say 
that its climate is superior to that 
of any other spot on the American 



continent for the cure of Bright's 
disease of the kidneys, consump- 
tion, rheumatism and neuralgia. 
While the heat is high, as exhibited 
by the thermometer, yet from the 
dryness of the air one does not feel 
oppressed, and breathes easily, and 
can, by using the proper means, 
keep in a most comfortable condi- 
tion. Another great desideratum 
of the climate of Yuma is the com- 
plete absence of malaria, thus af- 
fording every quality necessary to 
entitle it to the name of the great 
sanitarium of the North American 
continent. My friend, the distin- 
quished surgeon of this coast. Dr. 
A. F. Sawyer, has been in the habit 
of sending there his patients af- 
flicted Avith the diseases I have 
named, and is perfectly satisfied 
with the results, many having re- 
covered their health, and all finding 
relief from their symptoms. It is 
nature's Turkish bath, and will re- 
lieve many of the ' thousand ills 
that flesh is heir to.' " 

A valuable hospital experience in 
one of the large Eastern cities, and 
the many cases of pulmonary dis- 
eases which have come under my 
care during the winter season in 
Yuma, have thoroughly acquainted 
me with the needs of such patients; 
hence I feel that it is my duty to 
do something which would let some 
of the many consumptives, who 
can afford to go away from home 
for the winter season, know enough 
of the meteorological data of this 
southwestern section of our coun- 
try to enable them to wisely choose 
the place in which their trip away 
from home can be productive of 
the most good to them. 

The following correspondence will 
explain itself, and enable all con- 
cerned to compare the exact condi- 
tions of the places named, from 
authentic data, and choose accord- 
ingly. Very respectfully, 

■p. G. Cotter, M. D. 



44 — 



SICiiXAL ^iERVlC'E RF.10KI>!^. 



Yuma, A. T., Feb. 2.-), 1S8S. 
To Observer, Sig. Service, Yinna, Ariz. 
.SiK : I am giving some study to 
tlie climatic conditions whicli Yuma 
enjoys, and which are valuable to 
that chiss of invalids sulfering 
from pulmonai'y diseases. Can you 
furnisli me a statement of th(^ com- 
parative meteorological conditions 
of Yuma, A. T., Los Angeles and 
San Francisco, Cal., as called for in 
tlie inclosed forms? Very resp., 
P. G. Cotter, M. D. 



Yuma. Ai;i/... Feb'v 29, 1888. 
P. G. Cotter, M. D., Yuma, Ariz. 

Sir : It is impossible to give you 
the statement of climate from 1883 
to 1888 for Los Angeles and San 
Francisco, as called for in your 
letter of Feb'y 2."), as no reports 
from those cities later than 1885 
have been received at this office. 
Inclosed I send similar statement 
from 1880 to 1885. Very resp., 

A. F. AVniTFiELD, Pvt., Sig. Corps. 



I?IRTE<>KOI.4»OIC'Af. SI ili:»IARV 



03 p 



Si S 
5 3 



C3 X 
3 :J 



So 













5 B 


Bf. 


SS 






a - 


.s =■ 


gc 


;^g 







§"5 



II 



Si 



1880. 

( Yuma, Arizona... 
November , - Los Angeles, Cal. . 

/ San Francisco. Cal 

\ Yuma, Arizona. . . 
December. . - Los Aiisele.s, L'al. . 

( San P'ranclsco, Cal 

1881. 
\ Yuma. Arizona. .. 

January ... - Lds Angeles, Cal. . 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
^ Yuma, Arizona. . . 

February..." Los Any:ele8, Cal . 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
1 Yuma. Arizona. . . 

March ^ Lns Amiclcs. Cal.. 

/ San Francisco Cal 
\ Yuma. Arizona. . . 

November . - Los Anj,'eles, Cal.. 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
\ Yuma, .\rizona, . 

December. . - Los An<reles. CaL . 
( San Francisco, Cal 

1882. 
\ Yuma, Arizona. . . 

January . . . • Los AuL'cles, Cal . . 
/ San p'rancisco, Cal 
\ Yuma, Arizona. .. 

Fel)rr.ary... ■ Ijos Angeles, Cal.. 
( San Francisco, Cal 
^ Yuma. Arizona. . . 

^Lircli... . - Los Angeles, Cal. . 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
\ Yuma, Arizona. . . 

November . - Los Angeles, Cal. . 
/ S.'ui Francisco, Cal 
^ Yiima, Arizona. . . 

Deceuiber..- Los Angeles, Cal.. 
/ San Francisco, Cal 



29.918 
29.673 
30.080 
29.891 
[29.633 
29.9.57 



29.955 
29.702 
30.067 
29.863 
29.701 
30.083 
29.814 
29.(127 
30.042 
29.888 
29.H64 
30.085 
29.944 
29.711 
30.09G 



29.890 
29.029 
30.078 
29.9,50 
29.763 
30.103 
29.882 
29.734 
30.04(5 
29.887 
29.689 
30.C54 
29.884 
29.()97 
30.094 



56.7 
.55.5 
53.9 
.50.1 
.55.3 
53.0 



52.3 
51.7 
53.7 
62.1 
57.9 
54.9 
63.5 
.55.8 
53.8 
58.3 
.57.5 
.54.2 
57.0 
54.7 
50.5 



50.2 
49.4 
48.8 
.54.4 
50.3 
48.0 
62.3 
55.3 
52.9 
.59.5 
.57.3 
52.5 
58.0 
56.4 
51 .9 



59.8 

57.8 

.54.1 

56.0$ 

.55.0 

.51.0 



52.3 

52.5 

49.9 

57.8 

54.4 

.51.0 

64.2 

56.6 

.54.1 

59.8 

.57.8 

.54.1 

56.0$ 

55.0 

.51.6 



52.3 
52.5 
49.9 
.57.8 
54.4 
51.0 
64.2 
56.6 
.54.1 
59.8 
.57.8 
54 . 1 
56.0:! 
55.0 
.51.6 



86.0 
85.0 
75.0 
76.0 
80.0 
61.0 



76.0 
71.0 
63.0 
89.0 
86.0 
69.0 
97.0 
89.0 
76.0 
83.4 
80.8 
66.0 
79.5 
79.3 
(i3.0 



76.4 
74.2 
60.0 

•:8.i 

76.7 
61.0 
91.7 
87.8 
73.0 
82.2 
81.0 
64. 
79.8 
82.0 
65.0 



34.0 
:35.0 
41.0 






37.0 
38.0 
42.0 






33.0 
.37.0 




44.0 
37.0 
42.0 




45.0 




36.0 




37.0 
40.0 




35.5 
34.2 
44.0 




36.8 
35.3 




43.0 

27.2 
33.0 




39.5 
35.8 
.32.0 
38.0 
.'38.9 
35.3 




41.0 




37.0 
36.0 
45.0 
31 .5 
35.0 
34.5 











37.4 
56.3 

58.4 
48.2 
70.9 
84.9 



39.9 
64.8 
73.1 
39.5 
62.9 
bO.O 
42.4 
65.3 
70.3 
37.9 
51.2 
63.9 
46.5 
64.8 
85.0 



0.00 
0.67 
0.3:i 
0.74 
8.40 
12.33 



0.00 
1.43 
8.69 
0.00 
0.36 
4.65 
* 

1.66 
0.90 
0.00 
0.27 
1.94 
0.10 
0..52 
3.85 



56.6 


1.35 


69.6 


1.01 


67.6 


1.68 


46.1 


0.01 


63.5 


2.(i6 


(i9.4 


2.96 


36.9 


0.00 


65.1 


2.66 


66.8 


3.45 


45.1 


0.09 


.59.0 


1.82 


77.4 


4.18 


39.2 


O.OO 


54.8 


0.08 


78.9 


2.01 



0.02 
0.77 
1.66 
0.70$: 
3.24 I 
5.36 : 

i 

0.46 i 
1.65 I 
3.75 ! 
0.56 

3.97 ; 

3.12 j 

0.,30 

3.91 

5.52 ' 

0.02 ' 

0.77 

1.66 

0.70$ 

3.24 

5.36 



0.46 

1.65 

3.75 

0.,56 

3,97 

3.12 

0.30 

3.91 

5.52 

0.02 

0.77 

1.66 

0.70$ 

3.24 

5.36 



1.0 
2.5 
2.2 
2.4 
5.2 
7.8 



1.3 
2.7 
5.0 
0.7 
3.0 
6.5 
1.2 
3.7 
3.8 
1.0 
1.6 
2.0 
4.1 
3.3 
5.7 



3.1 
3.9 
3.8 
2.6 
3.1 
4.2 
1.8 
4.0 
4.2 
3.5 
3.7 
4.5 
1.4 
1.6 
8.7 



45 



mETEOROCOGICAL SUMMAUW—iContinHed.) 



If 





V 








3 












<" 35 


7. S 


£ "^ 


9 S 


r- O 


^- 


g" 




g 


51.7 


52.3 


53.5 


52.5 


40.5 


49.9 


55.fi 


57.8 


52.3 


54.4 


4T.!I 


51.0 


67.3 


64.2 


56.7 


56.6 


53.0 


54.1 


61.4 


59.8 


.59.2 


57.8 


53.5 


54.1 


t 


56. Ot 


56.3 


55.0 


50.2 


51.6 


54.6 


52.3 


53.9 


52.5 


50.0 


49.9 


.57.3 


57.8 


55.1 


.54.4 


50.0 


51.0 


60.9 


64.2 


54.8 


56.6 


54.0 


54.1 


63.3 


.59.8 


59.6 


57.8 


56.5 


54.1 


53.0 


56. Oi 


52.3 


55.0 


52.5 


51.6 


52.6 


52.3 


53.9 


52.5 


50.6 


49.9 


59. S 


57.8 


.56.6 


54.4 


54.4 


51.0 


67.2 


64.2 


60.6 


56.6 


56.6 


54.1 


.58.1 




55.3 




52.2 








gs 



S 3 











>>« 








f,S 






C3 0) 




^1 




•?: « 


2 03 






S 


> S 
<3« 







-S p 



■30 

si 
> s 



January . . 
February. . 

March 

November 
December. 

January . . 
February.. 
March 



November 



December. 



1883. 
{ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal. . . 
/ San Francisco, Cal. 
^ Yuma, Arizona. . . . 

- Los Angeles, Cal . . . 
/ San Francisco, Cal. 
\ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los- Angeles, Cal. . . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 
\ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal. . . 
I San Francisco, Cal. 
\ Yuma, Arizona. .. . 

- Los Angeles, Cal . . . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 

1884. 
( Yuma, Arizona. . . . 

- Los Angeles, Cal . . . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 
^ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal. . . 
/ San Francisco, Cal. 
\ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal . . . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 

1884. 
^ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal. . . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 
\ Yuma, Arizona 

- Los Angeles, Cal. . 
( San Francisco, Cal. 



1885. 
\ Yuma, Arizona. .. 

January ... - Los Angeles, Cal . . 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
\ Ylina. Arizona. . . 

February. . . - Los Angeles, Cal. . 
/ San Francisco, Cal 
\ Yuma, Arizona. . . 

March - Los Angeles, Cal . . 

( San Francisco, Cal 

\ Yuma, Arizona. . . 

Average.- Los Angeles, Cal. . 

/ San Francisco, Cal 



29.967 
29.757 
30.181 
29.898 
29.718 
30.071 
29.787 
29.676 
29.977 
29.849 
29.672 
30.070 

t 
29.706 
30.088 



29.978 
29.745 
30.007 
29.887 
29.653 
29.893 
29.816 
29.634 
29.828 



29.843 
29.663 
29.947 
29.800 
29.618 
29.832 



29.960 
29.750 
30.103 
29.852 
29.687 
30.087 
29.845 
29.696 
30.043 
29.885 
29.688 
30.036 



79.0 
82.0 
59.5 
82.5 
82.0 
70.5 
88.9 
84.0 
73.5 
87.5 
84.11 
67.0 

t 
80.0 
62.0 



71.7 
78.0 
58.5 
84.2 
81.0 
71.0 
81.3 
72.5 
68.5 



87.3 
88.0 
70.5 
78.5 
75.6 
63.5 



77.0 
65.3 
61.0 
84.0 
69.7 
69.0 
87.0 
74.1 
76.0 
82.7 
79.6 
66.7 



22.5 
30.0 
36.0 
31.4 
28.0 
35.0 
49.5 
42.6 
44.5 
37.1 
42.0 
43.5 

t 
37.0 
39.5 



36.6 
33.7 
43.0 
34.1 
38.5 
35.0 
42.6 
37.0 
45.0 



43.1 
38.7 
50.0 
36.4 
35.5 
40.0 



35.0 
44.1 
43.0 
38.0 
4i.4 
46.0 
43.0 
49.3 
49.0 
35.9 
37.2 
41.9 



27.5 
38.4 
44.5 
38.4 
44.0 
42.5 
39.1 
46.4 
47.1 



48.0 
48.4 
50.5 
43.3 
44.4 
43.5 



36.7 
40.8 
46.2 
41.9 
48.3 
47.6 
49.0 
46.3 
48.4 
39.6 
43.6 
46.2 



50.4 


0.96 


0.46 


52.8 


1.62 


1.65 


78.1 


1.92 


3.75 


51.4 


0.68 


0.56 


60.6 


3.47 


3.97 


68.7 


1.04 


3.12 


57.6 


* 


0.30 


80.1 


2.87 


3.91 


82.1 


3.01 


5.52 


37.5 


0.00 


0.02 


59.5 


0.00 


0.77 


80.3 


1.60 


1.66 


t 


t 


0.70t 


63.8 


2.. 56 


3.24 


80.7 


0.92 


5.36 


40.6 


* 


0.46 


61.9 


3.15 


1.65 


S2.3 


3.94 


3.75 


54.9 


1.58 


0.56 


71.1 


13.37 


3.97 


76.6 


6.65 


3.12 


5). 3 


1.48 


0.30 


76.0 


12.36 


3.91 


78.2 


8.24 


5.52 


60.4 


* 


0.02 


71.2 


1.07 


0.77 


81.0 


0.26 


1.66 


72.4 


1.96 


0.70:|: 


77.2 


4.65 


3.24 


73.7 


7.68 


5.36 


57.0 


* 


0.46 


65.0 


1.05 


1.65 


85.0 


2.53 


3.75 


55.0 


0.02 


0.56 


66.0 


0.01 


3.97 


80.0 


0.30 


3.12 


55.0 


* 


0.30 


66.0 


0.01 


3.91 


76.0 


1.01 


5.52 


48.3 


0.37 




64.8 


2.71 




75.9 


3.44 





2.4 
2.6 
3.6 
3.7 

3.8 

3.7 

2.9 

5.9 

6.8 

1.4 

2.0 

3.5 

t 

2.3 

3.8 



3.8 
3.5 
5.1 
4.1 
5.0 
4.7 
4.2 
5.9 



1.4 
1.9 
3.7 
3.6 
3.8 
5.4 



2.4 
2.7 
5.6 
2.0 
2.5 
4.2 
4.3 
3.8 
5.6 
2.5 
3.4 
4.6 



** Indicates the actual pressure at the station. 
* Inappreciable. 
+ No observation taken. 
$ For four years only. 

Yuma, Ariz. — To reduce to sea level, add .150. 
Los Angeles, Cal. — To reduce to sea level, add .400. 
San Francisco, Cal. — To reduce to sea level, add .070. 



HE A I/I II AT THE TERRITORIAL l>RISOX. 



The following, from the Resident 
Physician of the Territorial Prison 
at Yuma, is self explanatory : 

Col. Cameron H. King, Comimssioner 

of I)iimig)-ati(>n : 

Dear Sik : Tiie statistical show- 
ing of the 'J'erritorial Penitentiary 
(located at Yuma in 1875) plainly 
refutes the past widely spread re- 
port of the " deadly thermal effect 
of the fearful summer heat. " The 
inmates of the Prison have gradu- 
ally increased, until their number 
reached, at one time, over 170 con- 
victs confined within its Avails. 
These convicts labor at various 
tasks around and upon the yet in- 
complete building, during the day, 
and, at night, are locked in narrow 
cells of iron and heavy masonry, 
sometimes, owing to lack of room, 
as many as six in one cell. Day 
after day, during summer and win- 
ter, the same routine has been fol 
lowed, and some of the convicts with 
knigthy sentences and among tlie 
first iniiirisoned are still here, more 
hearty and robust now than on their 
arrival. 

That the men sufl'er more or less 
discomfort during the heat of sum- 
mer, cannot be denied ; in fact, it 
is natural to be expected. Hot 
Aveatlier is unpleasant everywhere, 
and under all circumstances ; but 
with prisoners, who cannot get away 
from it and who are forced to en- 
dure it under the worst conditions, 
its greatest and most evil effect is 
unciuestionably a})parent. So far, 
however, it has occasioned no seri- 



ous suffering. ^len bear it cheer- 
fully, are healthy and active, and 
perfoi-m their regular labor thi'ough- 
out the day with less complaint than 
is found in some more northern 
latitudes. Asa general rule, pris- 
oners are shorter lived, more sus- 
ceptible to diseases and suffer more 
from climatic changes than when 
enjoying the liberty of free, active 
movements. Under confinement 
they l)ecome depressed and a ]'>rey 
to the vague neuroses resultingfrom 
injuries received in desperate con- 
flicts, and succumb quickly to dis- 
eases that would readily be counter- 
acted in the excitement of active 
existence. Fully two-thirds of the 
prisoners are suffering on their ar- 
rival more or less from diseases con- 
tracted in jails, or wounds received 
in the act of their capture. These 
are promptly benefited by the 
change of climate, and in some in- 
stances have entirely recovered, 
which must have proven fatal in 
other less healthful climates. 

The strongest argument that can 
be advanced in favor of the sanitary 
condition of the j^t^'iitentiary and 
absolute purity and healthi'ulness 
of the locality, lies in the deathroll 
of the institution. Of the twenty- 
one deaths occurring since its loca- 
tion here, not one has resulted from 
disease originating after confine- 
ment. 

Very respectfully, 

A. E. DK Corse, 

Physician Terri'l Prison. 
Yl-ma, Feb. 27, 1888. 



Ry Hox. C. H. Kmcx. 



The lands of Yuma County com- 
prise the river bottoms and valleys 
and the uplands or mesas. The 
bottom lands are moisterand slight- 
ly more fertile, if, indeed, it is pos- 
sible to make comparisons where all 
are so wonderfully productive and 
prolific. The uplands or mesas 
are warmer and perhaps slightly 
better for the cultivation of the 
citrus fruits. Yuma contains a 
variety of soil. The valley lands of 
the Gila and Colorado rivers have 
for the most part a deep sedimen- 
tary soil of brownish, gray sandy 
loam, resting, in most places, upon 
a gray clay svibsoil at a depth of 
from ten to twenty feet below the 
surface. The clay subsoil forms a 
hard-pan which is impervious to 
water. These soils have been slow- 
ly formed by the decomposition of 
shales, sandstones, marls, lime- 
stones, etc., mixed with organic and 
vegetable matter, washed down by 
the mighty rivers, and have been 
gradually deposited during the 
course of centuries. The fertilizing 
brownish mud held in the water of 
the Colorado and Gila rivers resem- 
bles that of the Nile, and its quan- 
tity varies from 1 to 5 per cent., 
though the water, when even con- 
siderably discolored by mud, is good 
to drink, resembling in this respect 
the Missouri River water. A chemi- 
cal analysis of the sediments of the 
Colorado and of the Nile exhibits a 
wonderfull similarity in the constit- 
uent arts of each. That of the 
Colorado exhibiting a trifle less 
potassa, more phosphoric acid and 
carbonate of lime, the latter 
being due to the great limestone 
beds thi-ough which the Colorado 
passes. In other respects the sedi- 
ment of the Colorado is almost 



identical with that of the Nile. It 
will be noticed, therefore, that when 
this water is used for irrigation it is 
superior to artesian water, since it 
is constantly supplying the land 
with the richest fertilizing elements. 
The soil of the valleys is extremely 
rich in decomposed vegetable matter 
and uncombined carbon, readily 
absorbing the aerial gases, such, 
especially, as ox3fgen, which, enter- 
ing the soil, decomposes the organic 
matters so that they can be taken 
up and nourish the jilants, which 
may be considered a leading feature 
in its fertility. It also readily takes 
up and retains moisture, while the 
firmness of its particles affords 
every facility for percolation and 
the activity of capillary action. In 
its mechanical composition its par- 
ticles are in a state of very fine 
division, which renders it more 
productive than coarser soils. It 
acquires heat readily in the day- 
time, and the loss of heat at night 
is very gradual, so that it remains 
always warm and is not subject to 
sudden changes of heat and cold. 
Besides its essential constituents of 
water, organic or vegetable matter, 
sand and clay, a chemical analysis 
shows that lime, soda, magnesia, 
iron, ammonia and available forms 
of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and 
potash enter into its com2)osition 
in the proportions best adapted to 
add to its fertility, though, of 
course, as is ahvays the case in soil 
analysis, its composition varies in 
different localities and is not always 
constant. 

The soil of the uplands, or mesas, 
is lighter and more gravelly and in 
some places of a free, loamy, cal- 
careous character. The mesa lands 
are warm and generous. Thev 



48 



seem especially adiipted for the 
grape, olive and citrus fruits gen- 
erally. Their soil contains more 
magnesia, lime or chalk than tlie 
bottom lands. It Tiever cracks, and 
retains moisture admirably in sum- 
mer. It is of that cliaracter whicli 
will produce a Avine that will keep 
good for fifty or a hundred years, 
and improve annually, not being 



liable to sour, or on exposure to 
the air, after one year old, to be- 
come turbid and cliange color in 
the bottle or glass. 

^^'e can safely say that the soil 
of Yuma County can nowhere be 
surpassed, containing as it does all 
the essential elements of richness 
and fertilitv. 



1 1£ le I u A r I <> ^ . 



The average annual rainfall in 
Yuma County does not exceed four 
inches, and therefore irrigation is 
necessary to make the soil produc- 
tive. Irrigation is accomplished by 
means of large canals, which take 
out water from the rivers and con- 
duct it along the highest lands. 
From these canals lateral ditches 
convey the water \\\)on all the lands 
below the level of the main canals. 
Since the Avater supply of the 
rivers which course through Yuma 
County is so abundant, there is no 
difficulty in oljtaining sufficient 
water for innumerable canals, and 
consequently almost all the land 
in this favoi-ed county can easily 
be irrigated, with little comparative 
cost. In all countries the amount 
of rainfall is uncertain ; and where 
the farmer depends upon raiii, 
seasons will occur, more or less fre- 
quently, when an insufficient ([uan- 
tity will fall and drought will de- 
stroy his crops. Irrigation obviates 
this danger. The flow of water in 
the canals is constant, and the sup- 
ply to each acre can be regulated 
with certainty. In a pam[)hlet 
upon the fruit lands of southern 
Arizona, the Commissioner of Im- 
migration pictures the magical in- 
fluence of irrigation in words which 
may well be repeated here : 

" Valleys, that but a while ago 
seemed barren Avastes, are ti'ans- 



formed, by the magic influence of 
pure, sweet water, into gardens 
blushing with flowers and fruits. 

" From the rivers that course 
through southern Arizona's broad 
domain, active and energetic men 
are leading out shining streams 
and rivulets, sparkling like silver 
threads, more silvery where kissed 
by the bright sunshine as it falls 
from unclouded skies, winding for 
miles through the alfalfa's richest 
verdure, circling past fields of grain 
which gleam variously beneath the 
crimson beams of the warm and 
genial west, bathing the feet of 
orange trees 

' Whose fruit and blossoms in the breeze 
Arc wantoniiiu; together free. 
Like age at play wilh infancy.' 

Anon they bubble among the vines 
Avhose red Aveepings shall shortly 
stain the Avine press, or whose 
mummified clusters shall gladden 
the Christmas hearth. 

"Nature, Avreathed in smiles ban- 
queting through floAvery vales and 
lovely groves, transforms a desert 
into a ])aradise and brings to her 
glad children the nectar and am- 
brosia of the gods.'' 

A short description of some of 
the most important irrigating 
canals in Yuma County Avill serA'e 
to give the reader a slight idea 
of the progress Avhich is being 
made. 



THE MOHA^^K CA^AL. 

By Hon. C. H. King, Co^iwiissioner Immigration for Arizofia Territory. 

The Mohawk Valley stretches raising of almost all agricultural 
along the north side of the Gila products, such as cereals, corn, 
Eiver, and is formed by deposits of vegetables, peaches, apricots, cher- 
rich alluvial soil. The valley is ries, grapes, oranges, lemons, olives, 
quite level, sloping very gently to dates, figs, bananas, citron and wal- 
the south and west in a manner nuts ; and the various kinds of 
which renders it most convenient shade and ornamental trees ; alfalfa, 
for irrigation. It comprises a por- Arabian millet and all species of 
tion of the Gila Valley, and con- grasses suitable for grazing and 
tains an area of about seventy stabling purposes thrive and grow 
square miles. The head of the val- luxuriantly. The adaptability of 
ley rests against Texas Hill, which the soil and climate for the growth 
lies about sixty miles east of the of all these products has been 
town of Yuma. The Mohawk Val- proven, and is being proved by ac- 
ley extends westerly along the tual experiment, 
course of the Gila River a distance The valley of the Gila produces 
of about twenty miles. At its nar- finer wheat and barley than can be 
rowest point this valley is about grown in any portion of the State 
two miles wide, and varies to five of California, and that State is 
miles in width. The Gila Eiver noted for the exceptional quality of 
forms its southern boundary, and its wheat. 

its northern boundary is composed In addition to these enumerated 
of high mesa lands, which offer a products, cotton, tobacco and sugar- 
protection from north winds. A cane thrive as well, especially cotton 
narrow strip of land of variable and sugarcane, as in any known 
width, lying next to the river, and country. Also the Bayo bean grows 
running the entire length of the prolifically, and can be raised at a 
valley, is sometimes overflowed for large profit per acre, 
about two months during the win- Owing to the nature of the 
ter season by the high waters of climate, farmers plant wheat and 
the river. The lands subject to barley in the month of January, 
overflow are available for the rais- and harvest the same in May, and 
ing of corn, beans and other prod- on the same land, after harvest, they 
nets of the same nature, and for plant corn and beans, and gather a 
pasturage. good crop of each. 

In estimating the width of the Oranges, lemons, figs, pineap- 
valley, as mentioned above, this pies, dates, olives, bananas and 
strip of overflowed land is not taken other semi-tropical fruits are now 
into consideration. There are sixty- being raised in the town of Yuma, 
five sections, or about 40,000 acres and can be gathered throughout 
of land, not subject to overflow, the year in a number of gardens, 
which are available for agricultural Soil and climate are particularly 
purjioses and easy of irrigation, well adapted for the raising of 
The soil varies from twelve to twen- grapes, and there is no climate 
ty feet in depth, and both soil and equal to that of Southern Arizona 
climate are remarkably well adapted for the jn'oper curing of wines, 
and cannot be surpassed for the owing to its even temperature and 



— 50 — 



the extreme dryness of the atmos- 
phere, (rrapes, as Avell as other 
fruits and berries, ripen two months 
earlier than in California, and still 
earlier than in the Eastern States, 
which facts create markets both 
east and Avest for these products 
during a large portion of the fruit 
season. 

Arizona cotton, sugar-cane and to- 
bacco and other products were 
on exhibition at the World's Fair 
in New Orleans. 

Wood for domestic purposes, such 
as mesquite, cottonwood, willow, 
etc., grows abundantly through the 
Mohawk A'alley, and the screw-bean 
tree also exists, the wood of which 
cannot be surpassed as fence posts, 
owing to the fact that it never 
decays in the soil nor is troubled 
by worms. Wells can be dug 
anywhere upon the laud, if desired, 
for domestic and other jnirposes. 

The head of the Mohawk Canal is 
at Texas Hill, on the north bank 
of the Gila River, and the surface 
at the head-gate lies between two 
hills of solid porphyry rock about 
two hundred and fifty feet apart, 
which insures against any injury 
to the head of the canal by the 
action of the river's current. The 
depth of the water of the Gila Eiver 
at Texas Hill, at its lowest stage, is 
four feet, and the river, at this 
point at such time, one hundred 
feet in width. At the highest stages 
the river, at the same place, is 
about fourteen feet in depth, and it 
is here confined between the two 
hills above mentioned on the north 
and high table lands on the south 
side. 

The water in the canal comes to 



the surface of the land, and is then 
used for irrigation, three miles 
from the head-gate. The average 
dirt cutting for the first two miles 
is about twelve feet, and for the 
third mile, until it reaches surface, 
about six feet. From this point 
for a distance of twenty-one miles 
the canal can supply all the lands 
of the valley with an abundance of 
water. The canal is twenty feet 
on the bottom, with a two to one 
slope on the sides, and has a fall of 
two feet to the mile. The fall of 
the Gila River at the head-gate is 
six feet to the mile. 

This canal is the property of the 
Mohawk Canal and Improvement 
Company, a corporation formed 
under the laws of California. Nine 
miles from its head the canal sepa- 
rates into two forks or branches, 
for the easy and complete accommo- 
dation of the lands to be irrigated. 

The Mohawk Valley has all been 
surveyed by government surveyors. 
Perfect titles to this land can be 
quickly obtained. The natural 
slope of the valley renders the cost 
of constructing lateral ditches from 
the main canal very reasonable in 
cost and within the reach of all. 

The incorporators and officers of 
the company are among the most 
reliable and responsible men of 
Arizona, and have entered into this 
enterprise not so much for the 
purposes of speculation as to aid 
in the redemption of a marvelously 
productive body of land, and thus 
bring about the development of 
one of the resources of the country 
they live in, and procure pleasant 
and profitable homes for themselves. 



FRUIT CUJLTIJRE. 

Fkom the Commissioner's Reports. 



Fruit production throughout Ari- 
zona is a subject of great interest 
at present, and will, no doubt, be 
the principal industry in Yuma 
County. The remarkable results 
that have sprung from very super- 
ficial and imperfect culture has 
demonstrated that the soil and 
climate of Yuma County are 
peculiarly adapted for this branch 
of agricultural enterprise. The 
development of these resources is 
of the utmost importance and is 
attracting careful attention. Ex- 
periments have been made, witll 
care, and facts in regard to the 
culture of different kinds of fruits 
have been collected which cannot 
fail to convince, even the most 
skeptical, of the wonderful superi- 
ority of Yuma County over South- 
ern California in fruit-growing, and 
which must lead to a large and 
varied production of the most re- 
munerative character. 

The Commissioner of Immigra- 
tion, in his report published in 1886, 
writes as follows of the rich valleys 
of the Gila, Colorado and Salt 
rivers : 

•'•' The soil of these valleys is 
among the richest on the continent. 
It is formed of the detritus, which 
the streams for ages have brought 
down from their mountain homes 
in their journey to the sea. By 
constant overflows and change of 
channel, the deposit of this rich 
vegetable matter has formed a soil 
of extreme fertility. Near the 
streams it is a dark alluvial mold, 
well adapted to small grains and 
grasses. Farther back there is a 
rich sandy loam, mellow and 
porous, and especially favorable 
for fruit culture. It has been 
already demonstrated that the 



productive capacity of these valleys 
is not surpassed by lands of equal 
area in any part of the United 
States. So rapid and prolific is 
the growth of fruits, cereals and 
vegetables that the labor of the 
cultivator is reduced to the mini- 
mum. In nearly all of them two crops 
a year can be grown, and vegetation 
is one month ahead of California. 
The farmer plants the cottonwood 
sapling before his door, and within 
the year he has a shade tree twenty- 
five feet high I Alfalfa can be cut 
six times during the season, and it 
is an actual fact that the grape- 
cuttings have produced within 
eighteen months ! What State or 
Territory can make such a showing? 
The climate, it must be remembered, 
is nearly perpetual summer. Snow 
never falls in these southern val- 
leys. The farmer begins to plant 
in November, and by the mid- 
dle of May his harvest is ready. 
Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are 
blossoming, and the grain fields are 
a sea of green when the fields of the 
Eastern farmer are covered with 
snow and ice. 

''Every variety of grains, grasses, 
fruits and vegetables grown in the 
temperate and semi-tropic zones 
can be produced in the valleys of 
Arizona. Wheat, corn, barley, oats 
and all the small grains give a yield 
of from twenty-five to fifty bushels 
to the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timo- 
thy, Bermuda and all the cultivated 
grasses grow luxuriantly, the 
former giving from eight to ten 
tons to the acre each year. Every 
variety of vegetable raised in the 
United States can be grown in 
Arizona, and nowhere are they 
found of better quality. 

" Besides the products mentioned. 



these semi-tropical valleys produce 
cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, hemp 
and rice. With the exception of 
the sugar cane, but little attention 
is paid to the cultivation of the 
other staples ; but it has been 
demonstrated that the soil and 
climate are especially adapted to 
their successful growth. Cotton 
growing is no experiment in 
Arizona, for it is on record that 
when Europeans first penetrated 
this region, they found the Pima 
Indians wearing fabrics made of 
cotton grown in the Gila Valley. 

''But it is their adaptability for 
fruit culture that assures to these 
valley lands a dense population 
and a prosperous future. Almost 
every variety known can be raised 
in their fruitful soils. The apple, 
pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince 
and nectarine are of delicious flavor, 
and give a generous yield. The grape 
of all varieties is at home in these 
sunny vales. No place in the 
grape growing belt of the Pacific 
Coast can show so prolific a yield. 
The quality is all that could be 
desired : and the wine, although its 
manufacture is yet experimental, is 
of a fine flavor, delicious bouquet, 
and unsurpassed by any native 
product as a table beverage. Ex- 
periments with the raisin grape 
have shown that this climate and 
soil possess every advantage for 
the production and curing of this 
staple article of commerce. 

•'Besides the fruits already men- 
tioned, the orange, lemon, lime, 
olive, fig, pomegranate, and others 
of the citrus family can be grown 
successfully in the valleys of south- 
ern Arizona. Orange trees are 
now in bearing in the Salt River 
X'alley and at Yuma ; while the 
banana is also being cultivated at 
the latter place. The Arizona 



orange in quality and flavor will 
compare favorably with the best 
California. * * * 

" In the valleys of the Colorado, 
the iSalt and the Gila rivers, there 
is room for thousands. It is not 
too much to say that nowhere with- 
in the limits of this broad Union 
can be found a more desirable re- 
gion for the making of a home. 
No laborious clearing of the land 
is required ; it lies almost ready for 
the plow. Trees and shrubbery 
have so rapid a growth tliat within 
eighteen months the immigrant can 
surround his abode with attractions 
which would require years to ma- 
ture in less favored climates. Fruits 
ripen and are ready for market a 
full month before the California 
product. The bright sunshine 
makes life a luxury, and the pure, 
dry atmosphere brings health to all 
who inhale it. For the establish- 
ment of colonies, such as we have 
made of Southern California a gar- 
den, Arizona presents unrivaled 
opportunities. Thousands of acres, 
now profitless, can be made pro- 
ductive by the construction of irri- 
gating ditches, and there is no 
investment which assures larger or 
more permanent returns." 

The foregoing statements are not 
exaggerated ; in fact, they fall short 
of doing justice to this wonderful 
land. Pineapples, dates, almonds 
and walnuts will do well. Straw- 
berries, raspberries, blackberries, 
currants, gooseberries and all vari- 
eties of small fruits can be success- 
fully cultivated. Indeed, Yuma 
County is not only the natural 
home of the citrus and semi-tropical 
fruits, as almost every fruit, nut, 
plant, grain, grass or vegetable 
which can be })roduced in either 
tropic or temperate zonewnll thrive 
in its rich and fertile soils. 



NEITHER PLANT DISEASE IVOR SCALE BFO. 

By Hon. C. H. Kixu. 



The atmospheric conditions m 
Yuma County are such as to insure 
freedom from plant-diseases and 
complete immunity from the rav- 
ages of the scale bug, which is so 
destructive of the orange trees in 
the moist atmosphere of Southern 
California. So, too, the dryness of 
the air would permit a much lower 
temperature in Southern Arizona 
that in Florida or California with- 
out injury to tender plants. 

The sap of plants, it is well 
known, is much influenced in its 
conditions by atmospheric varia- 
tions, and contracts or expands ac- 
cording as the pressure of the 
external air is increased or dimin- 
ished. During a low atmospheric 
pressure, when the leaf-sap passes 
through the pores of the leaf to the 
surface, moistening it with albumin- 
ous juices (the food of fungi), then 
a high temperature following, all 
the conditions necessary for the 
formation of fungi are present. It 
has long been observed that rust, 
mold, mildew and smut follow 
such a course of atmospheric vari- 
ations. 

The atmosphere of the valleys in 
Yuma County is not subject to such 
clianges, but is ever dry and genial, 
and a temperature quite uniform. 
Fungi can find nothing to feed 
upon and cannot exist. 

For somewhat similar reasons 
the scale bug cannot exist in South- 
ern Arizona. There are several 
varieties of the scale insect : the 
Lecanium hesperidum, or smooth 
scale, found upon orange and lemon 
trees in Florida, and some parts of 
California; the Aspidiotus (aurantii 
or red scale); the Lecanium oleae 
or black scale insect, which has 
destroved immense numbers of 



orange and lemon trees in the two 
States named ; the Icerya Purchasi 
or cottony cushion scale, now so 
prevalent in California; and some 
other varieties. These insects are 
sheltered under their scales and are 
of a soft consistence, resembling a 
grub. From the under side of its 
breast proceeds a sucker or trunk, 
by means of which it extracts the 
sap which constitutes its food. The 
female deposits her eggs, which 
hatch in a few days, and the female 
young escape and run about for a 
day or two until they find some 
unoccupied or favorable spot on 
tree or leaf in which to insert their 
suckers. The tender bodies of 
these young insects, it would seem, 
can not withstand the noonday 
heat of the sun in Yuma County, 
where the elevation above sea level 
at the town of Yuma is only 130 feet. 
They seem to need the protection of 
a moist atmosphere which they can- 
not here find, and they die before 
they can begin their work of destruc- 
tion. This was satisfactorily dem- 
onstrated on the orange trees of 
Mr. John C^ondolfo, at the town of 
Yuma, by actual experiment. The 
female scale bug everywhere dies as 
soon as she lays her eggs. Knowing 
this, a few female scale bugs, which 
had been accidently brought on trees 
from California, were placed upon 
the plants in My. ( londolfo's garden, 
being carefully watched. The young 
died before they could attach them- 
selves to the orange tree, and, though 
several experiments were made, no 
scale bug lived. Similar experi- 
ments were made in other gardens 
with the same result, the very dry 
and hot atmosphere of the daytime 
shriveling the insect and destroving 
it. 



:)4 



There is no danger of the tempera- 
ture ever reaching such a low point 
ns to in any way affect orange or 
h'me treeSjOr even more tender phxuts, 
in Yuma County. The reason can 
easily be understood. The leaves 
Avhich contain the most moisture 
will suffer most from a low tempera- 
ture. In the very dry atmosphere 
of Southern Arizona, where the leaf 
is so mucli drier and hardier than 
in the moist atmosphere near the 
ocean, a much greater degree of cold 



can be Ijorne without injury to the 
tree, the atmospheric conditions as 
to dryness and moisture being more 
important in this respect than the 
temperature. 

During the last winter (18ST-88) 
not an orange, lemon or lime tree 
was in the least affected in any part 
of Yuma County ; yet the ther- 
mometer registered, for a moment or 
two, its lowest poijit during the year, 
28"^ above zero (Fahrenheit). 



FRUIT CULTURE AS AFFECTED BY TE:fIPERA TURE. 

By Hon. C. H. Kixcx. 



It may not be amiss here to give a 
table compiled from U. S. Signal 
Service Reports, covering ten years 
from 187'r to and including 1887 : 





f 


£" 


V 

t. 


6 


<o 


£ 


t 




'5 


2 


s 


2 


2'S 


S-d 


3 




SIS' 


MP" 


J) Q) 


H 


II 




PLACE. 


ft 


a 
3 

3 
05 


>^ 

B 
s 

3 
< 




SO 

3 


m > 
3 


s 
< 



Yuma, Ariz 

Jacfeonville, Fla. 
Pensacola, Fla... 
Los Aiif'eles. Cal.. 

Riverside, Cal 

San Diego, Cal 

Sacramento, Cal. . 

New York 

Boston 

Rome, Italy 

Phoenix, Ariz 



170. 5189. 31 

eg.o'si.ry 

67. '.18(1.6 
i.58.4 67.6 



62.7 
.58.1 
SO.,'-) 
47.6 



78.3 
66.7 
71.7 
71.6 



44.!) 60.1 
57.6,7-,>.-,> 

67.7|89.d 



73.1!.56.11 
69.S56.6' 
69.3 56.3 
62.7.53.5 
6.-). 3 51.7 
62.7 54.4 
61.5 48.3 
54.531.5 
51.1 2S.1 
61. 18.9 
68.4|53.8 



115.5 
104. 
97. 
108. 
116. 
101. 
105. 
105. 
101. 

'm.' 



22.5 72.3 
19. 69.3 



15. 68.5 
28. 60.6 
23. 65.2 
32. 60.5 
21. [60.2 
— 6151.2 
-13 48.3 
...|60.7 
13.2|69.7 



From the above table it will be 
seen that the average winter tem- 
perature of Yuma is almost the same 
as that of Florida ; three degrees 
higlier than that of Los Angeles ; 
two degrees higher than that of San 
Diego ; four degrees higher than at 
Riverside, Cal., and seven degrees 
higher than at Rome, Italy. The 
average annual temperature of Y^uma 
is about twelve degrees higher than 
in Rome, Italy, and seven degrees 
higher than the famous orange dis- 
trict of Riverside, Cal. 



Again, it will be noticed that the 
average spring, summer and autumn 
temperatures of Y'^uma are nearly 
nine degrees more than at Riverside. 
This is sufficient to explain the fact 
that the citrus and other fruits of 
Yuma ripen from a month to six 
weeks earlier than at Riverside, or 
other points in Southern California. 

Y'^uma has an earlier and warmer 
spring. The trees have an earlier 
start, and the higher temperature 
matures the fruit sooner. It is evi- 
dent that, since oranges in Y'uma 
ripen in the first of December, in- 
stead of about the middle of January, 
as in Southern California, the fruit 
in Arizona can never be injured by 
any low temperature in the win- 
ter season. And since the labor of 
the tree is for the season practically 
over at Yuma before the winter sea- 
son begins, it is better prepared to 
stand a lower temperature in winter 
than it could in California, even 
were the atmosphere as dry in the 
latter State as in Arizona. 

It is known that Riverside raises 
better oranges than Los Angeles, 
and the reason is that Riverside es- 
capes the fogs which liang over Los 
Angeli^s. 

It is proper to observe that the 



— 55 — 



maximums and minimums of tem- 
perature, as shown by the Signal 
Service records, indicate little of 
practical utility, since such extremes 
may not last more than a second, 
and may be the effect of one small 
wave or ripple of the air. 

The warm sunshine of the spring, 
summer and autumn days causes the 
fruit in Yuma to mature early, and 
gives a delicious sweetness, flavor 
and color to the orange, lime, lemon 
and other citrus fruits, which they 
cannot attain on the coast of the 
Pacific, where fogs dampen the fruit, 
mildew is produced, and dust coats 
both fruit and leaf. 

It is undeniable that nowhere upon 
the globe can a spot be found more 
favorable for the growth of citrus 
fruits than in Yuma County. 



TESTIMOIVY OF WITNESSES. 

Hon. Patrick Hamilton, late Com- 
missioner of Immigi'ation for the 
Territory of Arizona, describes the 
agricultural resources of Yuma 
County as follows : 

" He who would speak of Yuma, 
Ariz., as a desirable farming coun- 
try a few years ago, would be 
looked upon as a fit subject for a 
lunatic asylum. It is, however, an 
uncontrovertible fact that in the 
valleys of the Gila and the Colorado, 
in this county, are some of the very 
richest lands to be found on the con- 
tinent. The valley of the Colorado, 
like that of the Nile, is subject to 
annual overflows. Under its semi - 
tropic sun vegetation is very rapid, 
and weeds, grasses and wild plants 
attain an amazing height after the 
waters recede. The Indians, who 
cultivate a few patches, dig holes 
with a sharp-pointed stick in the ricli 
soil, and drop the seed. No attempt 
is made at cultivation, yet so mar- 
velous is the growth that within 
three months corn and vegetables 
have fully ripened. There is no 
better soil in the world for cotton, 



rice, sugar cane, tobacco and hemp. 
The latter fibre is found growing 
wild below Yuma and along the gulf, 
and an effort is now being made to 
plant a colony in Southern Califor- 
nia for its cultivation. 

" This fine valley of the Colorado, 
with a soil unsurpassed on the globe 
for the growth of every tropical and 
semi-tropical product, is as yet un- 
reclaimed. There is no finer oppor- 
tunity for the investment of capital 
in America than in the construction 
of levees and canals in this rich valley. 

" In the lower Gila Valley there 
are many thousands of acres of 
excellent lands, only a very small 
fraction of which is at present 
cultivated. The Mohawk Valley, 
about sixty miles east of Yuma, is 
one of the richest bodies of land 
in the Territory. It is a portion of 
the main Gila Valley and has an 
area of seventy square miles. The 
laud is level, with a gentle slope to- 
ward the river. At its narrowest 
point the valley is two miles wide, 
and at its widest five, and extends 
along the stream for nearly twenty 
miles. A company known as the 
Mohawk Valley Canal Company has 
been formed for the purpose of 
constructing a ditch which will 
bring water from the river and 
reclaim a magnificent vale. Work 
is being pushed with all possible 
speed, and the company expect to 
be able to supply water for the next 
season's crop. When completed, 
this canal will reclaim not less than 
40,000 acres, equal to any now sell- 
ing at Kiverside, Cal., for SlOO and 
1200 per acre. This land, and the 
water for irrigation, will be offered 
to the settler on the most liberal 
terms. [Canal is now finished.] 

''The soil, as has been said, will 
produce anything and everything. 
Corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa and all 
kinds of vegetables give a prolific 
yield. The grape, the peach, the 
plum, the pear, the quince, the 
apricot, the orange, the lemon, the 



5G — 



lime, the olive, the date, the fig, the 
banana, the walnut and all the 
grasses grown in any part of the 
United States can be raised here. 
This is already demonstrated by 
looking at what has been done in 
the town of Yuma. In the gardens 
there can be seen the orange, the 
fig, the banana, the lime, the olive 
and all varieties mentioned above, 
yielding bountifully under its semi- 
tropical sun. 

" The cotton, the sugar cane and 
all the textile phmts which grow on 
the Colorado bottoms are also at 
home in this valley. There is also 
the important advantage of fruits 
ripening here at least six weeks 
before they do in Southern California. 

"With such natural gifts, and 
such opportunities, the tide of im- 
migration will shortly sweep into 
those fertile vales, and transform 
the seeming deserts into fertile fields 
and blooming gardens. The simple 
facts only require to be known, and 
the valley of the Gila will soon be 
filled by thrifty settlers. This valley 
of the ^lohawk has the additional 
advantage of nearness to the line of 
the Southern Pacific. 

"There are a number of other 
locations along the lower Gila where 
canals can be taken out and large 
bodies of rich land reclaimed. One 
is the fertile bottom between the 
Gila and the Colorado, containing 
over 20,000 acres. Over 1,000 acres 
of this have been reclaimed, and 
from it have been taken the largest 
crops of cereals ever raised in the 
Territory. 

" P'rom the foregoing brief resume 
it will be seen that Yuma County is 
not the desert many people imagine. 
Water is the magician that will 
shortly work a transformation in 
her hitherto deserted valleys." 

C. ^Nleyer Zulick, Governor of 
Arizomi Territory, in his report to 
the Secretary of the Interior, illus- 
trates the ])rofits to be derived from 
wiuemaking by the results of an 



experiment made by the Count de 
Kamey from grapes grown in the 
Gila ^'alley. Governor Zulick says : 
" From a vineyard of four acres, 
three years old, he manufactured 
sixty gallons of white wine superior 
to that of California or France, and 
in body and flavor equal to the best 
of that of Spain. The white wine 
of France and the best of that of 
California has eight to ten degrees 
alcohol, while this contained the 
same as the best Spanish wine. The 
product of a Spanish vineyard is ten 
pounds to the vine. His vineyard 
yielded 100 pounds of grapes to the 
vine. From this vineyard, only 
three years old, and containing only 
four acres, he has this year made 
3,800 gallons of wine of different 
kinds, which he has sold for !J^1 per 
gallon, besides selling grapes to the 
value of %bOQ. The net yield of each 
acre has been 81,000. The testi- 
mony of vine culturists is that tliere 
is no better country for the manu- 
facture of wine than that of the 
Gila Kiver and Salt Eiver vallejs, 
and the experimental test above cited 
would seem to fully bear out the 
assertion." 



RAISIIVS FROM ARIZONA. 

" There is considerable rivalry 
every year among California raisin 
growers as to who shall put the lirst 
of the crop on tlie market. So far, 
the latter part of August has been 
the earliest period, but our vineyard- 
ists seem destined to be put com- 
pletely in the shade at no distant 
day by those of Arizona. A sample 
of raisins has been received from a 
resident of Yuma, A. T., wliich were 
picked from the vine July ]-4th and 
were sufficiently dried on the 24-th. 
These raisins were grown in what is 
known as the Mohawk Valley, on 
the banks of the Gila river, in south- 
western Arizona. This section 
possesses a fertile soil, is well watered 
and has been largely settled upon 
recently. 



— 5^ 



"The small time necessary for 
the conversion of the grapes into 
raisins is not the least of the advan- 
tages offered. Ordinarily in this 
State [California] from two to three 
weeks' exposure is necessary — nearer 
the latter than the former." — S. F. 
Chronicle. 



that the present site of the town of 
Yuma was included within the limits 
of the United States. " 



THE TOWX OF YUHA. 

Mr. Richard J. Hinton, in his in- 
teresting •' Hand Book to Arizona," 
sketches the early history of the 
town as follows : 

'* In the year 1700 Father Kino 
established a mission on the spot 
now occupied by the post of Fort 
Yuma, upon the California side of 
the Colorado River ; but it was soon 
afterward destroyed by natives, who, 
however, seem to have been well let 
alone until 1771, when Father Garces 
visited the Colorado River, and sub- 
sequently, in 1778, with others, 
established two missions — one at 
Fort Yuma and another nine miles 
below on the same bank. In 1781 
the horses of the Spanish soldiers 
stationed there having injured some 
of the crops of the natives, the 
Indians massacred the men compris- 
ing the little colony of about 170 
Spanish people, taking away the 
women and children as captives. 
Though other Catholic missionaries 
afterward visited the place, it was 
not until Gen. Pliil. Kearney marched 
his command through the Gila A^al- 
ley in 1847, during the war with 
Mexico, that something of the coun- 
try began to be known to Americans. 
In the spring of 1852, Heiutzelman 
and Stoneman (both afterward 
famous in the war of the Rebellion) 
occupied Fort Yuma with six com- 
panies ; and at the same time Wil- 
cox reached the mouth of the Col- 
orado River in a sailing vessel from 
San Francisco with troops and sup- 
plie.i, which were taken up the Col- 
orado River to the fort. It was not 
until the (radsten purchase in 1854, 



PROFIT OF OLIVE CUETIRE. 

Mr. Ellwood Cooper, of Santa 
Barbara, Cal., declares that "^ the 
olive is the most profitable tree " he 
knows of. His famous olive orchard 
has lor a number of years past 
yielded not less than $800 per acre 
per annum. 

Mr. Cooper has forty acres of 
twelve-year-old olive trees, and it is 
stated that during the past year his 
profit has reached the enormous 
sum of $1,500 per acre. 

The olive is a much hardier tree 
than the orange, and will stand 10 
or 12 degrees more cold. It also re- 
quires less irrigation than the orange. 

An olive orchard is much easier 
and much cheaper to establish than 
an orange orchard. Rooted olive 
cuttings, two years old, can be 
bought for thirty-five cents each, 
while a first-class orange tree costs 
at least one dollar. And, either for 
oil or for pickles, the olive can be 
counted upon to pay a larger profit 
than the orange. 

Comparatively few Americans 
realize the great food value of the 
olive. It is the value of the tree's 
products as nutriment that makes 
it intrinsically of more worth than 
any other tree known to man. 

An olive orchard at the age of 
ten years should yield an average of 
twenty gallons of berries to the tree. 
Any quantity of pickled olives can 
now be sold at seventy-five cents a 
gallon, in bulk. With one hundred 
trees to the acre, as in Mr. Cooper's 
orchard, the yield per acre will be 
2,000 gallons, which at seventy-five 
cents a gallon would furnish a return 
of 11,500 per acre. The cost of 
picking is not over ten cents a gal- 
lon. Even at as low a price as twen- 
ty-five cents a gallon, the net return 
would be large. 



— 58 — 



PROriTS or TIIK ORV\«E 
(liKOVK. 

The Pacifif Fruit Grower pub- 
lishes the following as the cost of a 
ten-acre orange orchard, three 3^ears 
from planting, allowing the price 
paid for the land to be $250 per 
acre, and the rental of water $3 per 
acre : 

"Ten acres ofland 83,500 00 

Preparing- the g-round 50 00 

One thousiUKrtrees 1,000 00 

Planting, complete.. 50 00 

Water, lirst year 80 00 

Care of orchard, first year 200 00 

Incidentals .' 70 00 

$3,900 00 
The two following years, count- 
ing interest on investment at 
eight per cent., will cost 1,330 00 

Cost of orchard -?5,330 00 

" At the end of the third year the 
orchard will bear enough to pay the 
interest on the investment at ten per 
cent., and ought to do a good deal 
more than that. In two years more 
it will bear from one to one and a 
half boxes to the tree, which for navel 
oranges this year would be from 
84,000 to 8(J,000 for the product of 
the orchard. From that figure it 
will gradually advance. 

" Mr. Hewitt's orchards (formerly 
Twogood's) contains about twenty 
acres, only twelve of which are in 
bearing. From these twelve acres 
he sold this year's crop of oranges, 
on the trees, for $10,000. The 
greater part of it was planted to 
seedlings in 1872-73, the other 
varieties not being planted until 
1877-78. The seedlings were four 
years old. 

" Mr. Johnson has twenty acres 
in oranges and grapes. The oranges 
were sold, this season, on the trees, 
for $8,000, and the grapes for $2,500. 
Many other similar examples might 
be adduced." 

In South Arizona, the profits 
would be greater, as the fruit, matu- 
ring three weeks earlier, would find 
a hiirher market. 



I'ROriTS OF THE FIG TKFF. 

The following is an extract from 
an essay on fruit culture read before 
the meeting of the California State 
fruit growers, by R. Williamson : 

" The fig is the most ancient fruit 
we cultivate. In many old coun- 
tries the failure of this crop almost 
means starvation and famine. 
Travelers in Asia Minor and South- 
ern Europe provide themselves with 
figs and olives as provisions for 
long journeys, and not only live, 
but endure and grow fat on the 
diet. The fig has more medicinal 
properties and more nutriment than 
any other fruit, except, possibly, 
the olive. High prices have pre- 
vented their general use in America. 
Smyrna exported 21,600,000 pounds 
of dried figs in 1884, and other 
countries brought the grand total 
up to 40,000,000, besides the large 
amount consumed at home. Eng- 
land, the United States and Ger- 
many receive the bulk of this ex- 
port." 

In no country does the fig thrive 
better than in Southern Arizona. 
Trees of six and seven years old 
will yield 200 pounds to the tree, 
which at six cents per pound, the 
current price, is $12 per tree. Fig 
trees of from ten to twenty years old 
have frequently been known to yield 
from 800 to 1,000 pounds of figs 
when dried. An orchard of figs is 
indeed, as Mr. Williamson remarks, 
" a bonanza," 



COST AM> PROFIT OF THE 
CJRAPE. 

The soil and climate of iVrizona 
are especially well adapted to vine 
culture. 

The cost of a vine3'ard may be 
placed, says a pamphlet on grape 
culture, about as follows, not in- 
cluding land : 

FmST YEAR, 

Plowing one acre '. .$3 00 

Harrowing and furrowing. 1 00 

Roots, 450 vines, 10 feet apart 7 00 



— 59 — 



Planting $3 00 

Cultivation, hoeing, etc., after 

planting 4 00 

First year *18 00 

SECOND YEAR. 

Pruning $1 00 

Vines for replanting 2 00 

Plowing twice 3 00 

Cultivation, harrowing, etc 1 50 

Hoeing' 1 50 

Second year ,.$9 00 

THIRD YEAR. 

Pruning $3 00 

Plowing 3 00 

Cultivation 1 50 

Hoeing — 1 50 

Third year $8 50 

Total, end third year 35 50 

A small profit will be realized the 
third year. 

The profits of the fourth year will 
be not less that 130.00 an acre. 
After the fourth year, the yield will 
gradually increase until the sixth 
year, when it is considered to be in 
full bearing. A^ineyards in full 
bearing produce a net income vary- 
ing from l-tO to 1200 an acre. We 
will be very conservative and put it 
at $50 net profit — which is interest 
on $500 an acre at ten per cent. 

The consumption of raisins in 
the United States is but one and 
one-half pounds per capita. In 
California the consumption is eight 
pounds. When the consumption is 
as great all over the United States, 
it will require not less than 500,000,- 
000 pounds, or 25,000,000 boxes of 
raisins, to supply the demand. This 
time is not far distant. 

Fresh grapes can be produced in 
Arizona and sold in New York and 
other Eastern cities at the same 
price at which the Eastern grape is 
sold, and leave a larger profit per 
acre to the Arizona than to the 
Eastern producer. The vine bears 
so much heavier, and the cost of 
care and cultivation is so much less, 
that it more than overcomes the 
cost of freight. 



The cost of putting one ton of our 
grapes on the market in the East 
may be put as follows : 

Picking and packing 110 00 

Freight 30 00 

Loading, boxes, etc. 5 00 

Expense selling 5 00 

Total $50 00 

Sold at five cents a pound. 100 00 

Price left for grapes on vines $50 00 

At this figure the grower could 
easily clear from $200 to $400 an 
acre. When once they come into 
general use in the East, a consump- 
tion of 500,000,000 pounds will be 
small. 



WHY I]»II»IIGRA^TS ^^HOITLD 
COHE TO ARIZOXA. 

By Hon. C. H. King. 

Mr. Hamilton gives the following 
reasons why immigrants and capital 
should seek Arizona : 

Because the climate is perfect. 

Because the soil is fertile and 
prolific. 

Because land is abundant and 
cheap. 

Because a home can be made with 
little labor. 

Because so great a variety of 
products can be grown. 

Because the yield is large and the 
prices always remunerative. 

Because life is a luxury in a laud 
where the sun shines every day. 

Because there are chances for a 
poor man which he can never hope 
to find in older countries. 

Because the country is advancing 
and property vahies are increasing. 

Because, unlike Southern Cali- 
fornia, it does not require a small 
fortune to secure a piece of land. 

Because capital does not block 
all the avenues to wealth, nor crowd 
the poor man to the wall. 

Because Uncle Sam has yet in 
Arizona many farms waiting for 
occupants. 



GO — 



Because clmrches, schools, news- 
papers and railroads are fast devel- 
oping the moral and material ele- 
ments of the Territory. 

Because good land is becoming 
scarce, and, if you don't catch on 
now, your last chance will soon be 
gone. 

Because the country is one of the 
few regions of the United States 
that yield the products of the tem- 
perate and semi-tropic zones. 

Because the worker receives a fair 
compensation for his labor, and the 
" rustler " has a field for the display 
of his energy and enterprise. 

Because there are neither bliz- 
zards nor tornadoes, earthquakes 
nor inundations, snowstorms nor 
cyclones. 

Because the vast and varied re- 
sources of the country are yet to be 
developed. 

Because the wealth of its mines, 
its farming valleys, its grazing 
lands and its forests will yet build 
up a great and prosperous State. 

Because a man can make a liveli- 
hood here with less labor than in 
any other part of the United States. 

Because there is health in every 
breeze, and strength and vigor under 
its cloudless skies. 

Because the settler need not spend 
a lifetime in felling trees and grub- 
bing out stumps. 

Because vegetation is so rapid 
that in two years the home is sur- 
rounded l)y a growth of trees and 
shrubs which would require five 
years to develop in a colder clime. 

J^ecause fortunes here await the 
venturesome, and health welcomes 
the afflicted. 

Because tlie country has a bril- 
liant future, and you want to be in 
the " swim." 

Because in its pure, dry, invigor- 
ating air, epidemic diseases canziot 
live or germinate. 

Because its })eople are generous, 
liberal, hospitable and progressive. 



M'nv cAi'iTAi. )miori.i> 

SEEK AKIZOXA. 

By Hon. C. H. King. 

Because its mines are the richest. 

Because its grazing lands are the 
best. 

Because its forests of pine are the 
most extensive in the Southwest. 

Because its farming lands are 
valuable and productive. 

]iecause it gives assurance of the 
largest returns on money invested. 

Because its grand resources are 
yet to be developed. 

Because it is a young, growing 
country with an assured future. 

Because the opportunities for 
engaging in manufacturing enter- 
prises are better than in any oth.er 
region of the West. 

Because good mining properties 
can be had at reasonable figures. 

Because the products of its coal 
fields and forests will find a profit- 
able market in its towns and mining 
camps. 

Because the profits from its stock 
ranges are larger than in any other 
portion of the Union. 

Because there is a demand for 
additional facilitiesforore reduction. 

Because there are vast stretches 
of rich soil to be reclaimed by the 
construction of irrigating canals. 

]5ecause there are large tracts of 
grass lands that can be utilized by 
the sinking of artesian wells. 

Because there are many openings 
in a new country which cannot 
exist in older communities. 

Because the opportunities for 
engaging in the successful cultiva- 
tion of semi-tropic fruits are better 
than in any other part of the United 
States. 

Because property values are 
rap i d 1 y ad van cing. 

liecause the Indian difficulties are 
about to be settled for all time. 

Because Arizona's boom is yet to 
come. 



— 61 — 



Because it is a virgin field, ready 
for the seed which will produce a 
golden harvest. 

Penetauguishene, Ontakio, 
(Canada), March 1, 1888. 

M. W. Meagher, Esq., Deputy Com- 
missioner of Immigration for Arizona, 
No. 36 South Main Street, Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Deae Sik : I found it impossible, 
as I had anticipated, to return to 
Los Angeles prior to my departure 
for home. 

I was much pleased with the loca- 
tion and surroundings of Yuma ; 
but the town itself has but few 
attractions at present. 

The Colorado and Gila valleys, 
in the vicinity of Yuma, contain as 
good land as I ever saw, and your 
statements relative to Yuma and the 



valleys named were substantially 
correct. 

Time did not allow me to proceed 
up the Gila Valley and into the 
Salt River Valley, as you recom- 
mended. 

As to the climate of Y^'uma at 
this season of the year, it is simply 
perfect. 

A number of Canadians wnll visit 
Los Angeles in the near future, and 
will, if we can obtain a considerable 
body of land in Arizona, in com- 
pact form, and on reasonable terms, 
establish a colony there. 

Thanking you for the information 
furnished, and the many courtesies 
extended to me, I beg to remain 
Your obedient servant, 

Wm. E. Gillespie. 



Eespectfully submitted by 

EDMINSTER & CO., 

Eastern Agents of the MOHAWK VALLEY ORANGE GROVE AND FRUIT CO., 
96 Broadway, 6 Wall St. & 5 Pine St., 

NEW YORK CITY. 

On addressing us as above, a circular will be mailed containing a list of 
various kinds of first-class investments in Pacific Coast securities, embrac- 
ing municipal, county, railroad, industrial and other bonds, stocks, 
land, etc., etc. 




K^.^^' 



Mohawk Valley, 

YUMA COUNTY, ARIZONA, 

The Choicest Spot in the Basin of the 
Great l\lorth American l\lile. 



For full particulars of charming Home Sites in the beautifully 
located town of 

the Garden City of the Mohawk A'alley, Arizona, or for information 
of other lands and investments in this wonderfully fertile Mohawk 
Valley, address 

EDMINSTER & CO., 

96 Broadway, 6 Wall Street, 5 Pine Street, 
NEW YOIiK CITY, 

EASTERN AGENTS FOR 

The Californian illustrated Magazine, 

The California Investment Agency, 
The California Raisin and Fruit Growers' Association, of Madera, Fresno Co.. California. 
The John Brown Colony, of Madera, California, 

The Mohawk Canal and Improvement Company, Arizona, 
The Mohawk Land Company, Arizona, 

The Mohawk Valley Orange Grove and Fruit Company, Arizona. 
The Orangedale, Arizona, Development Company. 



Mohawk Canal and Improvement Co. 

YUJVIA COUIMTY, ARIZONA. 

ORGr^^TsTIZKi:) 1885. R-EORG-^TsTIZE:!) 1890. 



This Canal and Improvement Company is located in one of 
the most fertile regions of the world, capable of producing all 
the tropical fruits. Takes water from the Gila River, about 
50 miles above its junction with the Coh)rado River, at Yuma. 
Thirty Thousand acres of supposed dry land rendered as fertile 
as the Valley of the Nile. 

The Climate of the Mohawk Valley is almost tropical, and 
will produce early fruits weeks in advance of any other Pacific 
Coast Valley. 

The management is amply able to deal fairly and liberallj^ 
with all actual locators. 



For Circulars and Further Information, address 

California Investment Agency, 



95 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, 

OR 



306 PINE ST., SAN FRANCISCO. 



I^O you wish to invest your money 
where it will be absolutely safe, 
and yield you steady and large returns 
without any personal supervision or 
responsibility on your part? 

If so, kindly favor us with your 
address, and we will show you how 
it can be done. 

EDMINSTER & CO., 

96 Broadway, 
New York City. 



ONE ACRE IN CALIFORNIA. 



The San Francisco Bulletin says : 

S. S. Boynton, of Oroville, has compiled the following reliable and well- 
attested facts, showing what an acre of California soil under the most favor- 
able climatic conditions, is capable of yielding. 



Ob» Aerc Ideated at 



Yolo 

Fresno 

Butte 

Gienn 

Solano , 

Yolo 

Visalla 

Yuba 

Los Angeles... 

Butte 

Fresno 

S-onta Barbara 
Ix)s Angeles... 

Santa Croz 

Santa Barbara 

Monterey 

Coloma. 

Qlenn 

Sacramento. . . 

Napa 

Los Angeles... 

Sutter 

Orange 

San Diego 

Yolo 

Santa Cruz 

Coloma 

Lassen. . 

Redlands. 



Pr»d«ee4 



Royal Apricots.., 

Apples 

Potatoes 

BlackbeiTies 

Almonds 

Muscatel Grapes. 

Prunes 

Hops 

Blackberries 

Tomatoes 

Nectarines 

English Walnuts. 

Strawberries 

Potatoes 

Olives 

Apples 

Peaches 

Almonds 

Tokay Grapes.... 

Currants 

Lemons 

Mixed Berries 

English Walnuts 

Apricots 

Almonds 

Mixed Fruit 

Sugar Beets 

Potatoes 

Alfalfa 



$2«0 00 
300 00 
226 00 

250 00 
187 00 
302 76 
910 00 
400 00 
350 00 
600 00 
260 00 
338 00 
800 00 

251 00 
1,000 00 
1,200 00 

500 00 
100 00 
320 00 
350 00 
450 00 
1,500 00 
510 00 
116 00 
283 50 
300 00 
78 00 
100 00 
112 00 



On« Acre Located at 



Sutter 

Colusa 

Los Angeles 

Butte 

Solano 

Riverside 

Fresno 

Alameda 

Vaca Valley 

Yuba 

Orange 

Napa 

Sacramento 

Pomona 

Orange 

Napa 

Santa Clara 

Fresno 

San Jose Valley 

San Bernardino 

Solano 

Old San Bernardino, 

Tulare 

Tulare 

Los Angeles 

Santa Clara 

Orange 

Alameda 

Grass Valley 



ProduMd 



Bartlett Pears 

Slixed Vegetables.. 
Pampas Plumes.. 

Apples 

Apricots 

Budded Oranges. 

Peaches ^ 

Cherries 

Peaches 

Blackberries 

Peanuts 



Cherries 

Seedling Oranges. 

Apricots 

Bartlett Pears 

Currants 

Figs 

Prunes 



Figs 

Apricots.. 
Peaches. . 

Prunes 

Figs 

Peaches. . 

Figs 

Cherries.. 
Rhubarb. 



Which 
Sold For 



$1,111 00 
1,000 OO 
100 00 
967 50 
291 66 
600 OO 
100 00 
620 00 
812 00 
200 00 
100 00 
ISOOO 
1,500 00 
9SO00 
510 00 
376 00 
300 00 
100 00 
600 00 
1,100 00 
760 00 
150 00 
100 00 
687 93 
950 00 
700 00 
100 00 
550 00 
500 00 



An acre of wheat in Butte, grown on the farm of C. F. Lott, yielded 
sixty bushels. 

Seventeen tons of grapes per acre have been grown in several Counties. 

An acre of barley in Pajaro Valley, in Santa Cruz County, once yielded 
149 bushels, while a field of 100 acres yielded 9,000 bushels, or 90 bushels per 
acre. Near Crescent City 157^ bushels of oats have been grown on a 
single acre. 

Greater returns have been claimed, but the above statements rest on the 
very best authority. 






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